


Claret Hopps

by KiltedGuy



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Blood, F/M, Mammals not monsters!, Preternatural AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-06
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-01-09 14:42:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12278634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KiltedGuy/pseuds/KiltedGuy
Summary: An attack while on the job has twisted Judy Hopps's world upside down. From rising star, proving her kind has what it takes to play with the big boys, to working the "Dead Shift", she'll have to adjust to her new body, learn the importance of purchasing a bottle warmer, and learn to work with her new partner, the aptly named Nick Wilde...





	1. Recovery

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure where the idea for this came from, so don't be too surprised if this doesn't update. That said, if enough people like it in the comments...

The ticking was getting on her nerves.

The clock, hanging above the doctor's head, was old and probably some kind of heirloom. The Ticks and the Tocks didn't quite match up, and despite how the uneven sounds scraped claws down the chalkboard of her soul, she would much rather focus on that than the new reality asserting itself over her.

She couldn't dislike the leopard on the other side of the desk, no matter how much she wanted to. He was nothing but polite, patient, and best of all  _understanding_ when she refused to go into more detail than the report provided. Calmly, he closed the file and steepled his fingers together, allowing the silence to go on a little further to collect his thoughts before clearing his throat, more to pull her back to the present than to dislodge anything.

"I won't insult you by asking 'how are you' or 'are you okay'. Instead... I would like to ask you to give me questions for a change. Anything at all."

She sighed and shrugged bonelessly, leaning back against the backrest. Faintly aware that he rose an eyebrow and scribbled a note, she paid him no mind as he stood, walking over to a bookshelf and scanning the titles.

"Forgive me, but exactly how much of your History lessons do you remember?"

Another shrug. Another sigh.

"Its Bunnyburrow. There's no.... There never have been any there before, so I didn't really listen... too foused on the extracurricular classes I suppose."

The feline 'hmmed' to himself with a nod, reaching up to carefully adjust a crooked frame.

"Would you mind if I gave you a brief run down? It may give you more insight."

He carefully ignored her exasperated sigh and clasped his hands behind his back, starting to pace around her chair and the desk. A quick glance at the counter set near the windows confirmed that he had the time and gestured out to the Zootopian skyline. Glittering lights scattered over the vista of buildings like stars as even at this time of night, or morning by now, Zootopia was a city that never slept, boasting the highest number of nocturnal mammals in the country.

Both Natural and Preter.

"Magnificent, isn't it? Amazed what we can do working together.

It wasn't always like this, as I'm sure you know. All kinds of biological factors came into play in the early days... hungers and desires, paid for in..."

He paused, carefully glancing at his patient before continuing.

"... blood. Your typical predators and prey of course, the strong feeding on the weak... it would probably surprise you that even some predators were considered 'prey' by the larger species... in fact, we think it was the small predators that started the process of collaborating with Prey.

But we aren't here to talk about Naturals, are we Judy?

They used to think it was a curse... some sort of Devine retribution, or black magic. Thankfully, science has progressed since those days. It's a disease Judy. An unfortunate one, an... incurable one, but only a disease. It's only a curse if you let it."

The doctor half outstretched his arm towards the rabbit before seeming to think better of it, his hand hovering in uncertainty before falling back to his lap as he sat back down.

"I'm sure your aware that your family has been tested? A check up in the Bunnyburrow region."

"They're immune."

His spluttered response brought a small smile to her face as she cut through his prepared speech, coughing into his fist.

"Uh... yes... yes, they are. Both parents carry inherited immunity, passed down to all your siblings and you..."

A spreading of palms, his face almost perfectly hiding his bewilderment and confusion. She had much the same reaction when her old bloodwork was examined, the facts verified.

"We still haven't completely unravelled the mysteries of Genetics Judy. By all known laws of biology, that immunity should have passed down to you. Like the other 96% of mammals these days. Only..."

Steepled fingers pressed against tight lips, predatory eyes locked onto her form with such an intensity that she knew she should have felt at least some unease. A few days ago she would have.

"The odds are... sheerly Astromical. Your bloodwork was taken on applying for the ZPD, along with that of your parents? As much as if shames me to think, I believe someone saw the markers in your parent's genes and didn't even bother running your own... If we had known-"

Judy had to give him credit, he barely flinched as she went from sitting on a chair one moment to standing on the desk before him in the space of a heartbeat, poking him in the chest with greater force than was intended.

"I would have been refused, or assigned to a 'safe' district. I gave up too much to let that happen anyway."

Ignoring the doctors subtle attempts to rub the bruising areas of his sternum, she flopped back onto the chair, almost deflating. Vaulting the desk. Shoving hard enough to push a mammal twice her size back. Just more reminders about how... different she was now.

How Monstrus.

"Judy, I know you must think this is the end of the world but-"

"I'll never see another sunrise."

The pair lapsed into silence at that, Judy slowly lifting her knees to her chest, hugging around them. The doctor simply nodded slowly, not in pity but with something she couldn't really figure out. Sympathy? Acceptance?

"I'll never taste mum's carrot stew again. Go weeding among my siblings. I'll watch family... friends... grow older. Pass on... and thanks to these damned... viruses or parasites or whatever science calls them  _this_ week burrowed into my cells, I won't age a  _day_. I'm... I have to drink blood now!  _Blood_! Me, a  _Bunny_ , drinking  _Blood_! And if I don't go for the shop bought stuff, dealing with all those stares, I would have to find someone immune to..."

Her ears were in her hands now. She didn't even notice when she started pulling on them, lost in her own world while the Leopard looked on with a mixure of sorrow and satisfaction. Bottling up everything after such a change wasn't  healthy for her, but the process of healing was never as clean as he would like it to be. If she was as strong as he thought, she would overcome it in time. She just had to reach that point first.

Reaching down to the cabinet beneath his desk, he lifted something with a clink of glass, setting a bottle onto the counter. The thick brown glass obscured its contents as the tasteful label wrapped around it advertised with discrete words and the Red Cross symbol, a teardrop in red below it.

"Yes, I was leading to that... Your doctors tell me you're not feeding..."

He raised both palms up in a peaceful gesture as her head snapped up, glaring at him. He had seen more than his share of fledglings go through the hunger pangs, but never one from someone turned against their will. Taking a deep breath, he went for the "tough love" approach, staring her eye to eye.

"Forgive me for saying this, but you're a cop. Protecting the people is your job. And if you start to go into a Bloodlust because you refuse to sustain yourself, then obviously you aren't cut out for the task."

The resulting silence stretched out for minutes. Hateful eyes flicked from the doctor to the bottle and back again several times before it was snatched off the table, pulled against her silent breast as she tore the stopper off, lifting the brim to lips... hesitant, shaking in mid air as a thick, warm coppery smell filled the room. With a choked sob, her mouth opened wide and the bottle tilted up higher, thick crimson pouring over her tongue and jump starting the hunger she was attempting to bury, swallowing and gulping, the flow of ichor just that small amount faster than she could swallow. Red tributaries ran through the fur of her chin, flying spots landing on cheeks and staining them a darker shade. After several seconds of gulping, the bottle was dropped, allowing the faint traces clinging to the inside to stain the carpet, while Judy pulled herself back into a defensive ball, hiding her face from view.

The doctor's nostrils flared, and he made a note to hire a carpet cleaner after the meeting, lowering his head to try and spot her behind the wall of legs and arms. A few wet wipes from his desk were held out as a peace offering as sorts, and he gave a small smile as a shaking hand accepted them, roughly dabbing at the mess she made.

"I understand these changes are strange, terrifying, but if you give yourself tim-"

"Shut up. Just... just shut! Up! You have no idea! My whole life just crashed down around me because some utter bastard of a mammal thought the best way to avoid a Jaywalking fine was to turn me into a goddamn  _juice box_! People who knew me before are terrified of me! I can't look at people without staring at veins close to the surface! How... how the hell can I explain this to my family? My friends? So do  _not_ sit there and try to tell me it's not that bad when you have no idea what this is like!"

The doctor peered at Judy through his spectacles, raising an eyebrow as if asking "are you finished?", removing them and setting them aside before starting to roll up his sleeve.

"Forgive me for seeming unprofessional for a moment Ms Hopps, but in actual fact I find you incredibly lucky. At least you can keep your full faculties while fed regular."

He held his now bare arm aloft, and Judy's eyes were quick to map out the scarred tissue where no fur grew, easy to puncture... before pulling back and actually looking at what she was seeing, eyes widening in slow realisation.

"The word your currently searching for is Therianthrope Ms Hopps. Late teens. Been struggling against my base instincts every month since then. My parents, being the rather old fashioned sort, threw me out despite being attacked. So yes, I do understand how devestating this must be, but please be aware that this could have been so much worse."

The sleeve was rolled back down firmly as the doctor leaned over to look at the more contrite bunny, sighing and letting the tension run out of him.

"You have a job. A roof over your head. Friends who will support you. Family who will care about you. You  _will_ survive this Ms Hopps."

He glanced at the counter at the window and sighed, standing up.

"Now, despite what you may think, we have made progress today. And as it's an hour until Sunrise, I would advise you to go home, get some rest, and discuss this with your boss later. He was informed?"

She nodded weakly, the law number and sub clause at the tip of her tongue before her brain yanked on the handbrake, keeping quiet. Working among the public, by law she had to inform him of her new status, even if he wasn't the one investigating her attack.

"Good. I've already pencilled you in for the same time next week. I would also recommend looking up a support group you would feel comfortable with, but I won't make it a requisite in my desicion to allow you to return to work..."

She could feel it now, some sixth sense warning her of the approaching ball of fire inching towards the horizon. Muttering vague promises, she left with a bundle of reading material tucked under one arm, heading for the now far more comfortable shoebox that was her apartment. She tried to ignore the deep snores filling the air once she crept in the front door, reminding her that her free time from now on would be spent among the dreaming populace. Sure, there were Nocturnal businesses everywhere catering to the night breed, but her district was more of a "daytime" kind of place. 

There were a few letters in her Pigeonhole, the ZPD, the Landlady, bills... nothing too out of the ordinary. Everything seemed fine until she came to her doorway, breath catching in her throat.

**LEECHES WILL BURN**

She grit her teeth while fighting at the tears threatening to appear in her eyes, fumbling with her key as she tried to ignore the graffiti scrawled along her door, slipping inside and closing it behind her with as much force as she dared. Back resting against the cool wood, she forced herself over to the window, dumping the pamphlets, brochures and letters on the table, staring out into the street.

The horizon held a particular glow she had come to know and love each day before her attack. The signs of a new day, ready at the crack of dawn to start making the world a better place.

Her hand rested on the switch that would close the security shutter, staring as the pre-Dawn became brighter with each passing second, her new instincts screaming at her to run, to take shelter. She ignored them. She had been dealing with her flighty, rabbit instincts for so long, it was easy to transfer the discipline to her new ones.

A single sunbeam hit the roof of the building, she could feel it in her marrow, fingers twitching on the switch as it crept down the face of the building.

It would be easy. Just move her hand away. See the sun one last time...

She yanked the switch down, watching the slab of reinforced wood slide into place, plunging the room into darkness. 

She was Judy Hopps. She never quit before. She wasn't going to start now.

Twisting, she fell forward onto her bed with a flump, pulling the pillow closer under her chin. The sleep of the dead pulling at her even as the daily routine started off with an argument about toothpaste from the next room.

Tomorrow, she told herself as she sank into oblivion, ignoring the small voice that reminded her that it was tonight. Tomorrow will be better.


	2. Transfer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to introduce only one "Preturnatural" race per chapter, so we don't get bogged down with details. Even so this chapter seems pretty wordy, sorry about that.
> 
> If anyone would like additional info, or want to suggest a Preter (existing ones please, I can't just add in originals, sorry!) I'll try my best to answer!
> 
> (Preternatural are basically "explained" supernatural creatures, so while vampires are obviously not normal, the reason behind them has been scientifically discovered, in this case by some kind of pathogen)

Clawhauser's squees weren't something one could simply become accustomed to. They seemed to have the distressing ability to pierce into the brain with each shrill note of joy. And yet, you couldn't help the strained grin whenever it happened. Dressed in civvies and a visitor badge on her chest, the force's sole Bunny officer was attempting to be discrete in her meeting with Bogo, only to be spotted near instantly by the cheetah now halfway from his desk bounding towards her.

Judy flinched as the large cat scooped her up and held her against his chest, mouth going several miles per hour. Only the occasional word surfaced among the babble, her hands flailing and finally locating the cheetah's mouth, holding it closed. Some of the watching officers breathed out soft sighs of relief, sparing Judy a grateful smile or two as they continued on their way.

"Ben, I know you're excited but remember what we said about... lifting..."

A mortified expression passed over the cheetah's eyes and carefully he set Judy down, biting at his lip. His restraint could only go so far before he was off again, clasping his hands together tightly to avoid any other potential incidents.

"Sorry Judy, it's just that we were all so worried when we heard about the attack... it's just so  _good_ to see you back in the precinct again!"

Ben's enthusiasm was infectious, coaxing a small smile onto Judy's face, unintentionally exposing the tip of one of her newly grown fangs. Holding up a finger, she walked alongside the dispatcher back to his desk.

"For a visit only... I still have a few therapy sessions and assessments to go through... dotting the Is and crossing the Ts. Plus the chief wants me fully adjusted before he reassigns me."

Slipping back into his chair, he gave a sigh, chin resting in his palm.

"That's right, I forgot... Downtown has a practically negligible Preter population... Any ideas where?"

"Nocturnal City or Midnight Cliffs I suppose. Highest Preter count, could always do with another on the force."

Sitting on the edge of the desk, legs swinging a little, Judy shrugged and leaned towards the ever present doughnut box, sniffing curiously. Sweet, sugary goodness met her nostrils, but the sense of temptation was missing. Ears dropping a little, she realised that her body had zero reaction to the idea of something sweet, if sinful on her tongue. Benjamin seemed to notice and clasped his hands again, leaning forward over them.

"I heard that the sense of taste is the first thing most notice..."

A sigh passed through her lips, leaning back with palms on the desk behind her, half turning to face her oldest friend on the force. Bunny cop and Fat cheetah, both had something to prove to the world, and somehow the pair developed into an impromptu support group for each other. More than once Judy had lent a sympathetic ear when he complained about his latest dating woes, and she had bent his ear just as many times with her complaints about nothing being the right size or people underestimating both of them in the workplace due to being so non-typical.

"Bought a salad yesterday, one of the really good, expensive ones. So fresh it was still damp with dew. And I got nothing."

The feline chuckled as she gave out a deep groan of frustration, freeing one of his hands to rest a chin on. He would never say it to her face, but Judy always gave the best rants.

"Normally even the smell of fresh, crisp lettuce, or carrots with the hint of damp soil sets my mouth watering, but I ended up as dry as Sahara square in summer!"

She twisted round, smirking as she folded her legs, crossing arms on top of them, staring Ben in the eyes.

"And perfumes? Soaps? They're just so bland now! Promise me you'll tell me if I end up walking around with half a bottle of artificial blossoms wafting off me, okay ?"

The pair laughed a little as Benjamin promised to be her nose if she had any doubts, reaching for the half empty box.

"So long as you promise t-"

Ears flicking at the sudden silence, Judy glanced over, noticing his frozen hand half into the box, his eyes glazed over, as though staring into the distance and into his own head at the same time. Scanning the desk, she pulled over his notepad and carefully pushed a pen into his empty hand, before sitting back and waiting.

About a minute later the cheetah came to with a shudder, blinking his eyes rapidly as his fingers squeezed round the pen. Shaking his head to brush aside the cobwebs, he quickly began scribbling, lips moving silently. Starting at a breakneck pace, the scratching of pen on paper slowed and stopped, rubbing at his eyes.

"Aaaaand it's gone..."

"Almost a full page this time... seeing more or remembering more?"

Benjamin sighed and shrugged, reaching into a drawer for some eyedrops. 

"A little more of each, but still nothing compared to Grandma, rest her soul. Remembering everything, initiating visions at whim..."

Judy had more than once witnessed one of Benjamin's visions, the Clairvoyant struggling with the same limitations as the rest of his kind. Five minutes or five years, the next room or overseas, the visions sole consistant factor was it always came from the clairvoyant's own point of view and rather infamously faded quickly from memory. The gift followed the bloodline, leading to several well known family names and, in the past, an unfortunate amount of breeding between a set number of families to preserve or strengthen the gift.

Too infrequent and imprecise to make a living from it, their kind were still banned from any kind of gambling or draws, family trees scrutinised and updated within minutes of any changes. Despite these setbacks, many found employment in big businesses, officially paid as secrateries or assistants, but in truth were paid lavish wages and multiple perks in exchange for scraps of hints about what the future held. Benjamin was something of a black sheep in that he preferred to work in the ZPD where his gift could potentially do more than follow a few stock changes. While not guaranteed, the cheetah had already saved dozens of lives by forewarning of violence and disasters, including a block of apartments evacuated before a potentially lethal fire.

The ability was rare enough that finding viable, willing test subjects were next to impossible, scientists presenting theory after theory without any supporting evidence or data. Those who regularly work or deal with the seers took the easy way out and settled for "psychic", regardless of what the labcoats say.

"I know I'm not technically on the force right now, but anything interesting?"

The pen waggled in his hand as he briefly skimmed over his notes, humming to himself at the occasional interesting snippet.

"Nothing really, but I know how the latest office betting pool is going to end up..."

With a dramatic sigh he began to firmly scribble out that section before standing, offering a hand to the bunny.

"I gotta deliver this to the Chief, you coming?"

She patted the offered hand and grinned before leaping down herself, content to walk besides the dispatcher. As they walked however, Judy began to notice a faint thumping coming from Clawhauser, watching him out of the corner of her eyes, brow furrowing as she tried to puzzle out the source. Not exactly the most subtle of bunnies, Ben slowed and kept an eye on her, stopping completely when she grabbed hold of her ears.

She was hearing his  **Heartbeat**...

" _Oh sweet cheese and crackers..._ "

A patient, understanding smile looked down on her as he leaned against the wall, arms folded.

"I recognise that look... let me guess, hungry?"

She hugged herself firmly, ears draped over her back as she looked down at the floor, grimacing.

"I... yeah, kinda... wait. How would  _you_ know what a hungry v-vampire looks like?"

He gave a shrug as he tucked the notepad under his arm and began to unbutton his cuff.

"I have a cousin who Turned. Compared to other diseases out there, vampirism is a perfectly valid choice. Slowly lose control of your body until you can't even go to the restroom without assistance, or perfect health for life?"

He rolled his sleeve up and held out an arm, half turning away.

"I know the wrist is tempting, bu-"

Judy spluttered and shoved his arm away a little too forcefully, the cheetah windmilling before stabilising, the rabbit backing up against the wall while covering her mouth with both hands.

"Oh sweet cheese... I appreciate the offer... in a kinda, creepy kind of way... but I swear, these... teeth aren't going anywhere near another mammal."

Rubbing the back of his neck, Clawhauser shrugged and paused outside Bogo's office, murmuring quietly.

"I get you Hopps, really. I mean, you're a prey mammal, the idea of blood is already ingrained in you as something bad. But you're gonna have to face it sooner or later, or it'll tear you up."

Grasping the handle, he glanced over at the miserable looking bunny and sighed, shaking his head.

"I'll tell the chief you're here, just... think about what I said, okay?"

A quick staccato of knocks and he slipped inside to the sound proofed office, leaving Judy to haul herself up onto one of the chairs outside.

\-------------

"How is she?"

Benjamin sighed and spread open his arms in the universal body language of uncertainty. On the desk between them lay Judy's latest psyche evaluation, the buffalo resting his chin on his thumbs, forefingers pressed against his lips in thought.

"I don't think she's fully accepted what Turning has done to her Chief. The idea of feeding on blood... my cousin had to see several therapists before she could become accustomed to it, and that was before her Turning."

The feline rested his hand on Bogo's shoulder, giving it a faint squeeze, earning only a brief exasperated look in return. While his office was a private as possible, he'd rather wait until they got home before indulging in any PDAs.

"She also seems to be trying to use humour as a coping mechanism... don't mention salad when she's in... but it kinda falls flat when she comes up against something dyed in the bone against her nature."

Bogo's lips narrowed, glaring at the reports littering his desk. Despite the drama caused by suddenly having to deal with someone literally knee high to him, he liked Hopps. Her idealism was a refreshing breeze in a department gone cynical, her devotion to the job could put old hands to shame. An open mind helped as well, though she tended to avoid Preters as a whole. Underlying specism, or just a lack of practice dealing with them?

A weary sigh ruffled a few pages. After all this, her attack, her forced draining, her unexpected turning, he wouldn't have been surprised if, if there were no problems with vampires before, there would be now. No one had been forcibly turned in the last two centuries. Were there any surviving from that period? Scribbling a note for later, he gave Clawhauser a brief "dismissed" and started gathering the documents into a pile.

The rabbit that slinked into his office could hardly have been recognised for the bundle of energy that showed up five years ago. In fact, this was probably the first time he had seen her in anything other than her uniform, everything screaming country bumpkin, from the flannel shirt to the wife brimmed hat. Under the circumstances however, a hat designed to protect against the Sun wasn't entirely out of the question.

Waiting with unusual patience as she climbed onto the chair, he pinched the bridge of his snout, allowing the facade to slip, just a little.

"Hopps. Good to see you on your feet."

"Sir."

The salute was, as ever, perfect, and it calmed his nerves somewhat. The faint tapping of her foot against the chair leg however, did not. Though it took a while for vampires to go so long without sustenance as to fall into the savage Bloodlust, newly Turned tended to burn through the stuff at a rapid pace as their bodies were reborn. At the advice of the ZPD appointed shrink, and Clawhauser's comments earlier, he reached into his drawer for two bottles, one a generic cola he happened to develop a taste for, and one brand name BioBlood.

While some of the oldest of the vampires claimed the artificially grown blood was like comparing whisky to Water, the newest generation had fed on nothing else. It didn't hurt matters either that, with the right template, any blood type could be replicated, eradicating the threat of blood shortages in hospitals forever.

He left the slightly chilled bottle in front of Judy and cracked the cap of his own with a well practiced twist, tossing the cheap metal into the drawer. Raising it in a salute to her, Bogo took a mouthful, watching as Judy bit her lip firmly before grabbing at the blood desperately.

"Didn't exactly have a method of warming it up for you."

He would deny the existence of that faint twitch at the corner of his mouth as she shuddered from the first mouthful, hiding it with another shot of cola. The pair sat in comfortable silence until two empty glass bottles stood side by side, only a few spots on Judy's face betraying her previous meal's source.

"Now the pleasantries are out of the way, I'll be frank. You're a good officer Hopps, and we do need you... but I need to know you've got your head on right."

He expected protests, claims about her stability, or his lack of faith in her. The fact she only weakly nodded made him clench his jaw, keeping his concern internal. Pulling over the precinct transfer form, he started to scribble in the details, a faint memory forming.

Yes... it'd either break her or make her, and Judy Hopps did not break. Scrawling the name in place, he slid the form over, resting back in his chair.

"To that end, I'm assigning you a partner in Midnight Cliffs. He's been needing a new partner for months now, and knows the Preter community well."

Internally he sighed at the thought of filling out more forms, quickly flipping through a folder without looking at Hopps, her twitching ears in the corner of his eye the only sign he had piqued her interest. While the memory was still fresh, he began filling out details of what kind of property Judy will be needing, trusting the Midnight Precint to have a better understanding of a Fledgeling's needs than he would.

"Your new residence should be ready in a week, try to have everything packed by then. Dismissed Hopps."

The stunned alpine blinked a few times before snapping off a salute, pushing herself off the chair on autopilot. Just as she was about to close the door, she poked her head back through, clearing her throat.

"Uh, Sir? Who am I Partnering with?"

A rare grin burst out over Bogo's face, and in all honesty it made Judy want to run for Home and hide under the bed for a while. A grinning Bogo meant Parking Duty, or worse.

"Officer Nick Wilde... I'm sure the pair of you will get along like a house on fire.

Judy swallowed hard before and let the door swing shut as she power walked back to the entrance to the ZPD. Lots of Fire, lots of Yelling, Lots of property damage and a thick blanket of smoke was her current experience with burning houses...


	3. Bat in the Belfry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zootopia seems to have a dozen maps, but I'm using the one below for this AU.
> 
> https://userscontent2.emaze.com/images/7d20285f-2a82-4064-a681-95638edd7085/c2c3c3a94e3a834833c1740dde9dbdee.png

Judy took pride in the fact that, despite not being a native to the city, she was more than capable of navigating around the various districts. Where to wait out the scheduled blizzards in Tundra Town, what paths in the Canal District were safe to walk on, even a brief stint in Canyonland which forced her to adapt to heights fast.

But nothing quite prepared her for the Cliffs.

For starters, most of the buildings didn't have good old Terra Firma beneath their foundations, instead clinging to the actual cliff face itself. Bridges spanned various outcrops of buildings that seemed to build upon themselves, much like coral. It also grew outwards, at its broadest near the top of the cliff, and only a few buildings deep at the lowest level. From her position at the train window, she could hazard a guess that the lowest section got darkest first. For a region devoted to the nocturnal, it made sense that the more important buildings, or wealthier populace, kept as low as possible. For a moment she allowed herself to be distracted, wondering where the precinct was located, where her new apartment was, did her stuff arrive safely? Too soon however, the tram started to slow in preparations for docking, leading the bunny to scramble for her duffelbag and letter for the chief of this District, one Commander Ewari. Bag over her shoulder, Judy stepped out into the dim lighting of the station, peering over the edge to the swirling mists rising up from the canal district to meet the suspended town above.

"Detective Hopps?"

Once certain that she  _wasn't_ having a heart attack, Judy picked herself up from the ground, lightly brushing down her uniform before sending a mild glare to the Panther nearly completely obscured by the night. Ears twitching, she could now hear the slow, but powerful heartbeat of the feline, the subtle breaths. Her doctor, an expert on helping the Turned adjust, told her that until she had completed her change, her newly vampiric enhanced senses would come and go, but concentration would help coax them into being for a while. The look of contrite concern on his face caused her to drop it however, reaching out a hand.

"Detective Wilde?"

He gave a firm, but careful shake and hauled her dropped duffel bag easily over one shoulder, giving a chuckle.

"Oh, no, no, no... My name is officer Manchas. Wilde was called away to an urgent meeting with the local Master. He's the only one the two respect. Or tolerate, I should say..."

Letting the rather cryptic comment go for now, she followed the larger mammal over to a series of lifts bored straight into the rock face. The five tubes seemed large enough for maybe three or four large mammals at a time, and glancing around Judy saw the larger goods line, but no other public terminals. Thinking aloud, she glanced at the floor indicators above each one, swivelling an ear at Mamchas.

"Can only five elevators handle the foot traffic for an entire district?"

The well polished brass and copper gleamed softly in the pale light as Manchas called one of the tubes, shaking his head.

"This is the direct line, for tram customers, VIPs, city officials and the like. I imagine they see a lot more unofficial use during the daylight hours though. These lifts are the only ones that run the depth of the Cliff, there are plenty of other, larger ones available to the public that only go two or three levels."

Pulling the cage open on well oiled bearings, he swept his arm inside, inviting the bunny to enter. The interior was decorated in plush, red velvet and gleaming brass, her toes flexing over the soft carpeting and the gentle light filtered through thick glass was easy on her developing eyesight. Manchas grinned as he watched her revel in the elevator's furnishings, tilting his cap slightly.

"Hard to believe this thing almost dates back to the Accord huh? Near two hundred years and still smoother than most in this city. Vamps do like their comforts I suppose."

He blinked and coughed, setting his cap more firmly onto his head.

"Uh, I mean... no offence or anything. Just that the older types like to keep things traditional."

Giving him a funny look, she shrugged and leapt up to grab the bars of the windows, watching the town drift past as they descended.

"So not a vampire yourself then? What are you?"

Manchas winced and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, following Judy's gaze as the nocturnal populace went about their business. Vending machines with brightly coloured bioblood advertising, fanged mammals conversing and laughing openly, making no effort to hide their mouths or keep them closed. Some of the fangless inhabitants leapt up walls or across wide gaps with casual ease, or carried impossibly heavy loads at a brisk pace. Here and there were mammals who were firmly holding hats on, walking just a little too fast to be considered casual, eyes cast down onto the ground.

Leaning against the back of the elevator, the officer slowly rose his arm and tilted his cap up, a curious Judy peering underneath. Poking neatly out from the feline's forehead were a pair of short, but sturdy horns , slightly curved upwards and ending in points that were, by the looks of things, carefully buffed down to dull, blunt tips. Letting out a gasp, she almost forgot she was holding onto the bars, carefully lowering herself down.

"It's actually considered rude to ask what Preter someone is, but since you're new I think people will be understanding for a month or so. Anyway, my kind... We, uh... prefer the term Salamanders, after the race that made us, but you probably know us better as Demons."

Demons were perhaps among the most rare and controversial of the Preter races. Or half-race, if one wanted to be technical. Before the Accord between Naturals and Preters, before even the peace between Predator and Prey, Mammals were dominated by the Salamanders. Reptilian beings of such strength, durability and a healthy dose of Preter abilities themselves, the horned, scaled beings enslaved everyone in their path. Their ability to manipulate certain states of matter allowed them to overcome any defence, crush any resistance. And like most conquers, they made "use" of their new slaves for their own amusement.

This ultimately led to their downfall. Though most never developed the horns and powers of their parent, outwardly looking normal, mammalian, they still contained the salamander blood within, passing from one generation to the next. In time, even mammalian couples were so saturated with Salamander DNA that cubs with horn nubs would be born. And although their masters culled whatever "mongrels" they could find, enough were kept hidden and matured enough to develop their parent's abilities themselves. Hidden, smuggled out of the cities and enclaves, they eventually rose up in an army to rival even the reptilian horde.

The resulting war lasted decades, and ended with the eradication of the cruellest race known to the world. And every mammal on earth carrying a drop of their ex-slavers blood in their veins.

Genetics being as unpredictable as they were, any Demons born were sterile, a potentially mixed blessing as there was no way for a fully blooded Salamander to be born. And though racial memory brought on a deep rooted sense of unease in mammals, a dedicated PR programme saw their standing in civilisation increasing as time went on.

Manchas held out a fist, inhaled and sharply snapped his fingers, a bust of warmth heralding the tongue of flame now dancing in his open palm.

"Inferis, but doctors say I might have some Tempestras in here too. Fire and wind." He explained quickly at Judy's mildly confused look, snuffing out the fire by clenching his fireproof furred fist and fixing his cap back over his horns.

"Always considered the fire department, but... you know mammals. Someone, somewhere would have accused me of starting as many fires as I fought."

It was with great relief that the panther mumbled that they were there, the elevator slowing and stopping with a faint tremble. Dragging the cage open, Manchas led Judy out of the main elevator station into a bustling street, Judy's wide eyes trying to draw in everything as they walked sedately down the Main Street. In the near distance, Judy could make out the deep blue lettering of the ZPD, the impressive building on the extreme edge of the level, some whisps of fog curling around the back of the building, overlooking the rest of the around and below, while several of the pneumatic tube-like lifts rose out of the roof to link with the levels above.

"Here we go... we'll get you signed in and  meet with the commander. I imagine I'll be driving you to your new place afterwards."

Taking the olive branch gratefully, Judy gave him a fanged smile, pausing as she caught sight of something behind the feline.

"Um... can we hold on, just two minutes?"

Following her gaze, the panther gave her a small smile, reachingbinto his pocket.

"Yeah, I could do with a drink too..."

The pair approached the vending machines, Manchas quickly selecting a sugary drink laced with extra vitamin D developed for mammals who rarely see the Sun. Judy meanwhile was glancing at the bioblood options with some confusion, lightly tapping her new co-workers legs.

"Different flavours?"

He shrugged in genuine ignorance, never having the need to figure out what the different labels meant. Any vampire co workers of his either brought their own bottles from home, or had arrangements with other mammals in the city. Sighing, she shoved the bill into the machine and picked one of the coloured labels at random, the machine humming for. Few seconds before a vertical drawer slid open and a warm to the touch bottle tilted out the slot. It felt body temperature under her fingers, the cap easily twisted off and filling both officers snouts with copper. Manchas barely flicked his tail, his predatory instincts firmly under control. Judy wasn't as so restrained, leaning in and starting to lap at the crimson essence eagerly, attracting one or two fanged stares. A scowl from the panther sent them on their way as an oblivious Judy started to drink her fill, sighing out as the last trickle past between her lips.

"There's a bottle return in the bottom, it's easier to recycle than haul up fresh supplies up here."

Guiltily licking her lips clean, she found the slot and rolled the bottle in with a deep thunk, ears tinting pink as Manchas carefully tapped the corner of his mouth. Firmly rubbing the spot with the back of her fist, she jogged a little to catch up with the larger mammal, staring up at the facade of her new job, the deep blue of the sign tinting her fur. With a deep breath, she took the first step through the door held open, determination on her face.

\-----------

Commander Ewari wasn't what she expected.

For starters, she was a bat. Not a vampire, Therianthrope, or any other kind of Preter. Just an immune Bat currently gripping onto the mesh attached to the celing as she read the letter from Bogo. Occasionally she would give out a thoughtful "hmm", turning pages and glancing at the Bunny waiting on her to decide her fate below. Clipping a weighted disk to the paper, she let it drop onto the padded desk with practiced accuracy, starting to crawl over to several hanging cubbyholes, pen clutched in teeth as she rummaged through reports and letters.

"Let me... see.. Aha! Sneaky thing, get out of there..."

Tugging a folder free, she eyed up the desk and let go of the mesh, rolling midair to land upright, stretching her wings before pulling them back in. Nudging the folder over the desk, Judy opened it up, glancing at the photo paper-clipped to the inside.

"Right now the building technically belongs to the ZPD, but it's just wasted space... I'm sure a capable officer like yourself can quickly make it your own."

It was an old clock tower, the clock itself long since removed and replaced by several meters of glass in all four directions, a subtle roll of metal above each containing the daytime sun shielding. Reading on, Judy found that it was one of the oldest buildings in the district, and boasted a fantastic view of the surrounding shelf and, if one were to buy a decent telescope, that of the city below. The building was practically on top of the pulse point of the city, lifts to each of the shelves within easy walking distance, not to mention the cliffs version of Downtown right on her doorstep. The interior, now hollowed out of cogs and gears, was gargantuan to the small mammal, spanning at least three stories. Plenty of space, well connected, well sheltered...

It unnerved her. Sensing her suspicion, Ewari crawled over on wings and feet, peering over her shoulder.

"Used to be a lookout spot, back when it was a belfry. Before we had reliable walkies for our officers, or cameras to view the streets. We had a lot more bats in the force back then too."

"But why me? I mean, I bet countless other officers deserve this more than I do."

Ewari smirked, straightening up and wrapping her wings around herself like a shawl, peering at her newest officer. 

"Most of the ZPD round here are either in the local Hive, Pack or specialised housing to suit their required lifestyles. You're... unaffiliated with the Hive. Politically speaking they can't house you.  The Naturals, like me, have families we own houses with. Plus..."

She chuckled, leaning in and lowering her voice.

"Bogo himself requested we break out the good stuff for you. Tight assed bull still can't compliment someone to their face, but he makes damn sure his people are looked after."

Settling back in, she gave an impressive shrug for still being encased in her own arms, staring at Judy's throat, where the jugular ran just below the skin.

"Also... he assigned you that area. Alone. He feels responsible, though he'd never admit it. And the Mammals Resources guys are worrying you'll sue or some stupid bullshit. Hence the fancy digs."

Shifting in place a little, the commander leapt and spread her arms, clutching onto the mesh, regaining her footing before crawling back to her speacilised working desk.

"Take the place for now, if you still don't like it after a year, or are absorbed into the local Hive, we can relocate you. If you have any further questions, take it up with Wilde tonight. Dismissed Hopps."

\-----------

Manchas left Judy outside the tower, reminding her it was two hours until sunrise as he drove off, leaving her staring up at the gothic architecture, duffel bag in arms. Feet on autopilot, she found herself bypassing the lift straight up to the habitable area and starting to climb the old, wooden floorboards, each breath filled with the heavy weight of time.

Or dust. It was more likely the dust.

Covering her mouth with one hand, and making a mental note to get down here one with with mop and broom, she ascended the surprisingly non-creaky stairs, a little perturbed that she wasn't out of breath in the slightest as she climbed the final ladder, slowly pushing the trapdoor open...

Pale moonlight streamed in through the crystal clear glass, bathing the room in tints of silver. Thick, solid wood formed the the largest structure, a massive double sided, floor to celing bookcase that almost spanned the width of the room, several gaps in the base of the miniature library seeming to lead through into more private rooms. In the corner, she spied the lift that would have brought her up here at a more rapid and dust free pace, and in the opposite corner a spiral staircase leading to a balcony that overlooked the entire floor plan of the dwelling. Probably the bedroom. Lighting was provided by a series of old fashioned, but tasteful glass electrolier that, once the switchs set into the wall near the lift was located, provided a soft, warming glow. Peering through the First of the gaps in the bookcase, she spied an old kitchen converted into what appeared to be a breakroom. A funny feeling tingled in her chest, knowing she would never really need to use this room besides the large freezer for storing her liquid meals in. The other gap, with a heavy, meshed iron bar door swung open, seemed to be the armoury from when this building was a ZPD outpost.

Despite herself, Judy smirked. She could easily see this room slowly being added to as she progressed through her career, daydreaming a little on how it would look. Taser chargers there, dart storage there, body armour on a mannequin over there...

Reluctantly she pushed away, looking around the rest of the ground floor. Empty, as she expected, but there was certainly potential there, if she had any idea what to do with all of the free space.

She couldn't help but fall in love with the spiral staircase, one hand brushing over the banister as she climbed, each step giving her a view out into the city below, baring the window behind the bookcase. But the balcony itself, an old captain's office going by the brass plaque, surpassed even this. All four windows unobstructed, her gaze spanning from cliff face to town edge and everything in between. As promised, her bed and meagre furniture waited for her here, and in a slight daze she fell back onto it, duffelbag at her feet.

A few minutes spent soaking it all in before she took a deep breath, straightening up.

"Well Judy... Welcome to your life from now on."

Catching sight of one of the dozen of shutter switches around the room, she leaned over and flicked it, ears twitching at the rattling metal now swallowing up the impressive view. For a moment she wondered how it looked from the outside before deciding she didn't care, at least for this morning. Changing lethargically, she climbed into the bed, staring up at the thick wooden beams above, allowing the rise of the sun to send her into dreamless sleep.

\----------

The crimson fox sighed as he stepped down into the basement, nostrils twitching a little at the smoke wafting up from inside. In the shadows of the corridors branching out from the stairwell, he spotted several pairs of eyes peering at him. Some curiously. Some hostile. But none made a move towards him as he headed deeper.

On the deepest level was a single door, rusted in some places, the fox slamming a fist against it several times. A deep, booming voice yelled out for him to enter, and without much delay he slinked inside, nostrils flaring.

Blood.

In the middle of the room, on a long sofa, a hippo woman sat, dressed rather skimpily for the weather. In her arms was a cradled bundle of fur, a head nuzzled in close to her neck, and as it shifted position she gave a short gasp, legs squirming, a low moan escaping her lips. 

Removing his sunglasses and tucking them into his shirt pocket, the fox waited until the head of the mammal pulled up with a deep, satisfied sigh, a small hand stroking a large cheek.

"Don't go nowhere beautiful... I'll be right back."

Twisting round, unabashed by his nudity, a fennec fox stared at his larger counterpart, licking ruby stained lips slowly.

"Wilde. Now what brings my favourite cop to my Hive?" He sniffed and scrunched up his face, lightly shaking his head. "Of course. How is old Master Big these days?"

With a sigh of annoyance, Nick crossed over to an armchair, flopping into it heavily, raising an eyebrow.

"Finn, would it kill you to put some pants on?"

Finnick smirked, stretching out just to watch the younger fox squirm.

"How I get my jollies after two hundred years is my business Wilde. What can I do for you?"

Grunting in exasperation, Nick regarded his oldest friend, in both meanings of the term, pulling out a printout from his pocket.

"About three weeks ago, a cop was attacked. Bitten. Near completely drained and turned without permission. I know you got a tight hold on your people here, but I gotta ask..."

Finnick aggressively rubbed his mouth with the back of a hand, eyes narrowed.

"I heard. I started asking questions after that, and when I ask, I get answers. Telling you now Wilde, none of my boys did the deed."

He sighed and shook his head, arms folding.

"Last thing Big or I want is trouble with the cops or the Naturals. I mean... shit, look around, things are going great for us. Why fuck it up?"

The fox nodded, holding out the folded paper.

"I get you man, really. I'd appreciate if you and your Hive keep an eye out for a vamp with this description though."

The mini vampire nodded seriously and took the description, sparing it a quick glance, first in concentration then disappointment. Nick knew it was a long shot coming here, but after going through a couple of hours of Master Big and his legal team disclaiming every other word, he needed someone who went straight to the point and could actually trust not to bullshit him around about the important stuff. Leaving the folded paper on a table, he strode back over to the waiting hippo, grinning as he climbed up, tongue dragging up from her chest, following the scarlet trail that trickled from her neck.

"Is she..."

"Legal, Immune and oh-so-willing... told you man, things are great."

He firmly lapped at the two puncture wounds on her neck, causing Nick to shuffle his feet a little at the outright orgasmic moan and the thick scent of arousal that hit his nose.

"You wanna taste? You might not need it, but I bet the taste'll do som-"

Nick held up a hand, taking a step back.

"I'm good. Really. Look, just be careful, right?"

The fennec laughed, fangs gleaming under fluorescent light bulbs, trailing a finger underneath the hippo's chin, lifting it easily.

"I'm always careful with my good friends Wilde, you know that... if I hear more about this rogue, I'll let you know. Now, if you mind?"

Returning his sunglasses onto his snout and heading back to the door, Nick refused to let his ears twitch at the sharp gasp, the wet suckling, the grunts of two bodies moving...

Only when the door swung shut behind him did he give out a shudder, rubbing both hands over his head as though he could pluck the images out of it.

He loved Finn like a brother, really, but he did not need to know what got the littlest vampire all hot and heavy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This entry, Demons!
> 
> I feel like this chapter was a little weak, so apologies for that. I think I'm almost through building up the laws of the AU, but I have a mind to do sort of mini-chapters going into further detail about the lore of each race, or how the world is different due to them.
> 
> If that sounds like something that would interest you, let me know, and I might be able to get started on them! Enjoy!


	4. Born to be Wilde

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preternatural
> 
> Just a quick definition of Preternatural, probably explains it better than I have lol
> 
> Next chapter will probably be one of the mini lore chapters, either Vampires or a General History. I think in a world with deadly monsters, weaponry would be a lot more common... and if you ask me, she really liked using that dart in the trailer XD
> 
> Be sure to vote for what Lore you'd like!

Judy watched the screen anxiously as the buffering circle rotates, brushing off imaginary lint from her shoulders. As she was examining her claws for any dirt, the screen suddenly cleared, a pair of rabbits peering out at her, faces morphing from worried concern to relieved eagerness. Immediately one of them leaned forward into the camera, eyes roaming over every part of Judy they could see, then over her shoulders to peer into her new room.

"Jude the Dude! You're all settled in now right? Got your furniture safely?"

The older buck was gently coaxed back by his Doe counterpart, who sent an understanding smile through the phone.

"Judy, sweetheart... you're looking well. Your new place any good?"

Judy couldn't help the wide grin on her face, only pausing as her parents inhaled at the sight of the out of place fangs on either side of her buck teeth. Carefully hiding them behind her lips, she maintained the smile, hugging her knees to her chest.

"This place is just... amazing. But empty. I'll admit, it's a little lonely. But I'll get used to it! There's dozens of old furniture shops around downtown, and I bet there's plenty on the cliffs too..."

The banter between parents and child was soothing for all it's mundane topics. Who was having kits now, how the farm was doing, gossip about neighbours and whatever crazy antics her multitude of siblings were up to this time. Eventually however, the conversation petered out, husband and wife exchanging glances before reaching out for each other's hand, squeezing.

"Judy... Are you sure you're ready to go back? You're more than welcome to come visit for a week!"

"Yeah, of course sweet pea, take some time to, you know... adjust? The kids have all been asking about 'Judes the... vampire'..."

Her smile faded almost completely, squeezing her legs a little tighter, chin resting on her knees. While understanding that mentally she was the same Judy as before, it was easy to see that the Hopps matriarch and patriarch were uncomfortable about just what had happened to their daughter. While the "I-told-you-sos" were mercifully absent, Judy could clearly see the justification in their eyes. Look at Judy, they would say to any kit with big dreams. Went to Zootopia to be a cop and became a vampire. She would be a warning tale for generations to come, and might even be there to watch them in person.

But the concern in their voices were just as obvious, and it lit a small spark of warmth in her chest. The idea of running back home, drawing comfort from her parents and siblings... Eyes drifting away from the propped up phone to the night vista outside, she let out a soft sigh, voice low.

"I'd be lying if I say I wasn't thinking about it... hiding in my old room for a while... but if I did that, I don't think I could get back out." Turning back, she reached out for the phone and brought it closer, taking a deep breath before grinning, trying to project confidence and draw some of it for herself. "But I should get back out there, you know? And if I hear any word about that Ram from the alley... I want to be there."

The conversation was carefully steered towards such safe topics as Gideon's growing bakery franchise, who was dating who, and finally Judy glanced at the clock, unfolding her legs.

"Alright, I should get going... don't want to be late for my first night!"

She closed the app midway through the usual warnings and farewells, letting her head flop forward. She loved her parents, and she knew they loved her, but even interacting over the phone with them was mentally exhausting these days. So much tension lay beneath the surface it was a small wonder that there wasn't a constant "thrum" in the background.

Climbing off the bed, she approached the new uniform on its hanger, exploring the differences with eyes and fingertips once more. While her old uniform was certainly a bit snug, this one was tight in all kinds of places. The stiff, metal lined collar, sheet metal behind the breast, the thick faux leather with metal running down the length of various arteries. All meant to keep her safe, she knew that, but she couldn't help but think of those poorly written "femme fatale" novels she read during her "misspent" portions of her youth. Thankfully the gear harness and official black trench coat of the Preternatural cops contained far less sex appeal, and as she pulled them into place she made a vow to find something less...

Well, less Vampire.

Checking her badge was in place, she glanced around the room for anything she may be forgetting and stepped into the lift.

\-------------

Nick leaned over the railing, watching the various law enforcers walk through the foyer, tapping a finger slowly, counting down the officers as they clocked in.

He had heard of the infamous Judy Hopps. Who in the ZPD hadn't? Impressive arrest count, several complex cases bust wide open, and with the help of fur dye and contact lenses had taken part in three undercover stings that took down a trafficking ring over in the Canals. It was only this morning however, that the commander saw fit to inform him that his new partner, and technically case, was the rabbit herself.

He straightened up a little with a faint smirk as the bunny walked in, shaking his head at the sight. One of these days he was going to track down whatever bright spark designed and, more importantly, approved the gleaming monstrosity that was the official Preter uniform. Sure, the official stuff protected all the important bits, but if she was half as serious as he thought, she'd be looking for alternatives like most of the Cliffs ZPD. He himself had only kept the trench coat because a firmly buried part of him had a thing for the dramatic look to it.

Plus it kinda reminded him of those badass Preters in the books hidden underneath his bedroom floorboards. 

Fingers to snout, he gave a sharp whistle, mock saluting with two fingers. Her flinch and subsequent flattening of her ears told him she'd already gotten the enhanced hearing, making a note to check the size of ear plugs they had available.

"Officer Hopps. Detective Wilde. I'm sure we'll get along famously. Take the corridor to your right, we'll get you geared up."

With that he pushed away and slowly sauntered down the steps, nodding politely at passing cops. Most gave him a wide berth and a cautious nod back, and only a few sent a grin his way, or spoke above a mumble. The newest of the fresh recruits kept their eyes firmly on the ground, causing him to roll his eyes skyward a little. A reputation was all well and good, but sometimes it just made things that much more difficult. Coming down to the cage separating the public areas from the private, a scowling Hopps on the other side, he gave a half shrug and buzzed her through, straining up on tiptoe and outstretched arm, clicking tongue at the rather high badge scanner after it had buzzed.

"I've already filled the suggestion box for them to lower it, but most of the cops here are in the Large mammal category. Or can fly. I'd suggest a selfie stick. Come on in Bunicula."

He struggled to maintain a straight face as the diminutive bunny folded her arms and rapidly thumped the floor, scowling at the fox. Dare he say it, the display was just far too cute, eyes narrowing with the effort of not grinning.

"Nothing about this strikes me as particularly funny  _Detective_ Wilde. I suppose you'd have a clever name for  victims of a spiked drink, or missing liver?"

Right, sore spot, make a note.

With another shrug he buzzed open the armoury door, holding it open for his new partner to hop in after him.

"Look, word of advice. The Dead Shift sees some of the fucking freakiest shit in Zootopia. You don't have a coping mechanism? You're fucked. I prefer humour. Maybe you'll do with unbridled rage. Wouldn't be the first."

With a sigh, he rubbed his face and waved his hand aimlessly in the air. Deep breaths, draw it in, hold it, exhale. Forcing a calm over himself, he gestured for Judy to follow him down past rows of offices, following a deep blue line pained onto the floor.

"Sorry. I've been looking into your case, and frankly... Either one of the Masters is hiding something, or there's an unknown vamp in town, and neither is making me very comfortable. If I can laugh at something, it doesn't seem so bad. I'll lay off."

Judy squirmed a little as she followed, shaking her head as she jogged a little to catch up, walking beside him.

"I get it. Some of the folks back at precinct one had... odd senses of humour. It's just a little different being on the other end I guess. That and, well... vampire. Not exactly my chosen career path."

Nodding, Nick held a fist out, aimed slightly down as they rounded a corner, spying the solid slab of metal acting as the armoury door.

"Cool. So. Truce?"

With a slightly forced snicker, Judy thumped her fist against his own, eyes narrowing in anticipation as she spied the almost vault like entryway.

"For now Wilde."

\----------

The armoury was...

 _Beautiful_...

The goggles were a pain but, as Nick had mentioned, the items in here were supposed to be effective against anything  the Preter community could throw at them. Better some minor discomfort now than risk her eyes being burnt out for a while.

She fell in love immediately with the updated, handbow like tranq pistol. The powered loader allowed the darts to fly further, hit harder and, with the automatic reloader, she could launch three darts in the time it used to load one. Even her new acute hearing could barely hear the hiss of gas propelling the darts down the target range, offering up a whole new avenue for her to explore in more stealthier takedowns. The compact design meant she could also compress it down to the size of a regular pistol, the limbs jutting out taut at the squeeze of the handle, meaning she could draw and fire near instantly. It did make her a little nostalgic however. If she had this beauty while in precinct one, no one would have doubted her ability.

Making a note to hold off on showing her some of the legal (and dubiously legal) mods for the hand-bow lest the bunny orgasm there and then, Nick subtly directed her towards his favourite piece, lifting the forearm length nightstick from its charging station, air humming with barely restrained as he activated it.

"Tranquilisers are all well and good Bun, but against folk like, you know, us, it won't do much good. Too fast a metabolism. Now this bad boy is what you want to be packing!"

Now, Nick would be the first to tell you that the last thing your average civilian, or cop for that matter, should do is get within arm's length of an angry Preter.

But they weren't average.

The upgraded tasers for the Dead Shift, while woefully lacking in range due to the  wires being unable to handle the enhanced voltage, more than made up for it with power. It's increased weight wasn't even noticeable for certain races, and it's sturdy design meant that it could survive being used as a lightning charged club from the heavens. He would take the secret to his grave, but he always felt  a little like the old barbarian heroes he watched in the cinemas as a cub when swinging the beast, smacking faces, pounding kidneys, slamming limbs... The criminals he unleashed it on gave as good as they get though, and he had one or two scars to prove it, but nothing really got his blood pumping like a good old fashioned brawl...

He blamed his father for that side of him.

Reluctantly, he steered the Bunny away from the non lethal armaments, swiping his badge against another grate and folding his arms while inside.

"Never had to use deadly force have you Hopps?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as she hugged herself a little, gaze sweeping over the gleaming metal and racks of carefully labelled rounds. Taking her silence as confirmation, he began lifting and weighing the bastard love child of magnums and pistols, trying to guess which would be best.

"Sometimes, we aren't given a choice Hopps. When you have a rabid Preter coming after you, well..."

He checked the chamber and magazine of one before twisting it round, holding the butt out to the rabbit.

"You've seen first hand what a mad Preter can do. It's not pretty. Not our first choice as law keepers. But when it's you or them..."

Judy carefully took the gun from him, testing the grip. A little on the large side for her, but it would do until the tech boys could rattle one up in her size.

"choose yourself. No worries there."

The fox nodded, glad to see that she had already developed a sense of self preservation. Most of the rookies... well, lest said there, the better. Drawing his own and once more checking chamber and magazine, he began demonstrating the Preter cops best weapon against the other beasts in the night.

"Now, these things come with some long serial number, but everyone just calls them Sundowners. Your average mammal would probably break a wrist trying shoot one of these, damn things have a recoil to rival a zebra's kick. And you'll need every bit of that power if you want to take a perp down for good."

After making sure Judy's giggles were firmly in place, he lifted down one box of the special rounds, holding one aloft. While most of the round was like any other bullet, with cartridge and tip, the space between seemed to be made of a toughened glass. From within, a pale glow illuminated the side of Nick's face harmlessly, but the back of her palms tingled where the light shone down on bare fur.

"Sunlight is still the most reliable way of taking down a Vampire, so our brains trust came up with these nasty little things. UV rounds. Not much against fur, but even a bare round can damage the eyes. Inside however..."

He gave a low whistle and started loading  the single round, eying up the dummy at the far end of the range.

"Your insides have even less UV protection than your outside. That would be bad enough, but as you can see..."

Judy barely had time to cram the earguards on before Nick fired, arm twitching slightly as the bullet smashed into the target. A deep hole lay within its chest, glowing and Nick held three fingers up. Two. One.

A faint pop, and the glow was suddenly a lot brighter, and unless her squinting eyes were playing tricks on her, a lot more widespread. The glow blazed for for mere moments before fizzling out, and Nick smacked the button to bring the dummy trundling up to the firing line to assess the damage.

"Micro detonater within the bullet, spreads the stuff in a wide radius, so even missing doesn't mean the suspect is safe. Then it reacts to oxygen to create a brighter, more potent blaze. Burns them up from the inside, leaving a charred husk. Not a pretty way to go I'd imagine."

Nodding numbly, Judy took a careful step away from the shelf of UV labelled ammo boxes, nose twitching hard. Carefully not seeing her moment of weakness, Nick reached for another box, holding back a shudder of his own.

"Therianthropes, or shifters for less of a mouthful, have a different set of vulnerabilities. Fire, same as pretty much everything besides some Salamanders. Beheading, but getting in near enough to actually do it... Lastly, much how like UV kills off the stuff in your cells rather spectacularly, Silver will do the same to a Shifter."

Tugging his gloves on a little tighter, he withdrew another round, its glass chamber not glowing, but instead containing a dirty grey liquid. Shaking it caused it to reflect the light in little sparkles in an almost pretty way, and once more Nick loaded his Sundowner, sending the dummy back.

"Silver kills off Shifter cells at a rapid pace. Practically rotting the flesh on contact, but ultimately survivable if extracted in time. Solid slugs are the traditional way, but..."

More prepared this time, Judy watched him draw, aim and fire in one smooth motion, the gut cavity of the dummy suddenly ventilated. Again, Nick wordlessly counted down three seconds and the round detonated, the dummy starting to leak. Laying down his weapon, Nick flicked a switch and the dummy was pulled back into a sealed chamber for a Natural maintainance worker to safely despose of the chemicals and repair work, sighing and starting to check his weapon for ammo with his back to the Bunny.

"Silver nitrate isn't much better, depending on impurities. Silver dust suspended in a saline solution though? You hit a vein with one of those, and they're dead mammals walking. Trust me when I say you don't want to watch what happens. Combusting is mercifully quick by comparison."

Stowing his weapon back into its labelled case, Nick led the stunned rabbit out of the Armoury, rubbing at his neck. Judy seemed to follow in a daze as he led her to the cafeteria, gazing down at her from time to time. He had personally walked five rookies through the armoury, and with one exception none of them elected to stay with the force. The fifth currently got called in when the shit hits the fan and they need a heavy hitter, fast. 

If even half the stuff he had heard about her were true, he was certain that Judy would be one of the strong ones capable of handling the stresses that the job put mammals under, by for now he carefully guided her towards a chair and returned swiftly with a pair of coffees, setting one down in front of her.

"We'll be going on patrol later. Just around Main Street, shouldn't expect any trouble. But if you think you need time-"

"No, no, I'm good. Really. I think."

Nodding, the fox quickly gulped at his caffeinated ambrosia, ignoring the faint burn in his maw while tossing the paper cup lazily into the recycling bin.

"If you say so. Drink up, and meet me at the obstacle course downstairs. Time to see how much you've learnt."

He left before she had a chance to open her mouth, door swinging shut and cutting off the view of his rapidly disappearing tail. Dragging her cup closer while shaking her head, she gave a short sniff... and was surprised at the heady, rich scent that almost knocked her on her back, mouth watering slightly. Prying the lid off, she peered into the dark liquid and slowly brought it to her lips, sipping.

The first few seconds were the same as before; bland and while the flavour was there, it was easy to ignore it. Then the full flavour punched against her tastebuds, nearly choking as she spluttered. It was almost exactly like her coffee from before her attack... better even, ignoring the heat as she chugged, more than thankful her ability to breathe with a full mouth wasn't hampered by her turning. Soon, she was left with a warm feeling in her gut, the ghosts of flavour on her tongue, and a woefully empty cup tumbling into the bin to join its twin.

Jogging to catch up to her foxy partner, Judy swore to pull the secret out of him one way or another tonight...

\-----------

 Judy remembered the ordeal of the district themed course she had to run back at the academy. Scorching winds, ice walls... dirty toilet. She had anticipated more of the same, resigned to have the fox's voice intermingle with that of the Polar Bear officer, dual "You're Dead!" Circulating in her head.

The Cliffs course was... different.

Oh there were walls, yes. Obstacles, sure.

But she never saw a course segregated before. At the starting line we're three sections which branched off from each other. Naturals, Shifters, Vamps.

It made sense in a way. Different races, different skills. At least they didn't have a Bunny course. Knowing Bogo, it would just be a line of cars and a stopwatch.

With Nick watching from the sidelines, Judy surged forward over the starting line, angling herself to head down the vampire path. Walls rose on either side of her until even the usually gloomy, lamp lit glow of the Cliffs were swallowed up by a perfect darkness, the rabbit starting to stumble over items left in the middle of the path.

Feelibg a tickle behind her eyes, she blinked once and the path was suddenly illuminated perfectly. Her long distance vision was sharper too, able to read the label on an ill placed bottle long before she came across it, leaping over it easily. After the initial shock, she grinned and urged her legs to pick up the pace, eager to test out the limits of her new vision...

... only to skid to a halt, staring at the wall before her.

This was nothing to the relatively short, infamous Ice Wall of the academy. There, handholds had been frequent, if cold, and most mammals applying had no trouble pulling themselves up and over. This one had nothing to grip, no ledges to grab. With a twitching nose, Judy swivelled an ear round, picking up Wilde's impatient yell.

"Not getting any younger Hopps! You're short, but even you should be able to grab that handhold!"

She narrowed her eyes and held back a thumping foot, staring intently for anything she had missed... there, about halfway up the easily 30metre wall was a single, slim handhold. With a growing sense of unease, she scanned the rest of the wall, finding only one other closer to the top where she expected recruits were to vault over. But there was no way your average mammal could scale it, unless you happened to be a giraffe.

"Tick Tock Hopps!"

Scowling, Judy yelled over her shoulder towards the waiting fox, hopping left and right in the dim hope she had missed something, anything.

"No one can climb this thing, it's impossible! And I don't use that word lightly!"

She tried not to flinch as her partner came up behind her sooner than she had expected, and a lot quieter to boot. Folding his arms, he stared at the wall and shrugged.

"I don't see anything here beyond your abilities. Didn't your trainer teach you how to jump?"

"Trainer?"

The two stared at each other for several long, uncomfortable seconds, Nick's face slowly going from something akin to sustain to confusion and then anger.

"Did no one... Didn't the Downtown precinct get you a vampire to coach you through your change?"

Coming to a standstill, Judy awkwardly shuffled her feet, not directly meeting Nick's gaze.

"There was a doctor..."

"Who can tell you how to survive, sure, but to use your... okay, okay, this... is a setback, but can be fixed..."

The fox began pacing in front of the bunny, rubbing at his forehead while muttering to himself. Judy wasn't sure what he had expected, she was an attack victim, not a convert. She knew that sires tended to train up their protégés, but wouldn't someone like her just be expected to fend for herself? And, she thought with a small bubble of anger in her gut, she thought she hadn't done too bad under the circumstances. It took her four days to learn how to talk without lisping or cutting her lip for Serendipity's sake!

"Tell me you've at least seen the Masters..?"

Nick's pleading tone almost caused her to yell out at him. Why did he have to ask in that kind of tone? She was the one who was left in the dark!

"You know, people keep mentioning them as though I should know what they're talking about. What the hell are Masters?"

Nick only stared at the angry vamp before cursing and marching down towards the entrance of the course, expecting correctly that Judy would follow him.

"I swear I am gonna wring that little pervert's neck... I bet they both thought you went to the other one and wouldn't say anything. Gods damned  _politics_!"

Judy had to break out into a fast jog to keep up with him, trying to map the twists and turns through the corridors before giving up, content to watch as Nick brought them both to the cruiser Depot, glaring at the attendant once who tossed over a set of keys out of instinctual self preservation. The curses and vivid descriptions of violence had devolved to angry, bitter sounding mutterings that blurred together in a solid susurration of sheer cold rage, his finger firmly and quickly tapping the wheel as he waited for Judy to climb in. With a yank that she was surprised to see didn't tear out the gearbox, Nick pulled out of the station, heading for the heavy vehicle lift.

"Okay, brief lesson. The Masters are the oldest pair of vampires in the Zootopia territories. We are talking centuries here, folks like us are barely the space of a heartbeat in comparison. They govern the two Hives, and they are exactly as it sounds. Big damn swarm of vampires huddling together. They work for the Masters, and they make sure they're fed, sheltered, comfortable. It's not a bad life If you're happy taking orders."

Judy clutched onto the door as Nick drove, not quite above the speed limit but certainly a hairs breadth away from doing so. 

"They keep an eye on the vampires in their territories, because if they do anything it reflects back on them. They're also supposed to take in new Vampires after they've been turned."

The rabbit with the death grip on the door clenched her eyes tightly shut as she swore the cruiser's tyres left the road on the last turn, body shuddering with each landing before she had a chance to speak up. The rage pouring out of the fox next to her was making her fur stand on end, as his tail snapped back and forth, pinned between him and the door.

"Honestly, I don't trust either of them as far as a bunny can throw a rhino, but one of them has always done good by me... until he pulled this shit..."

Praying to whatever deity out there when the fox eased up on his reckless turns and narrow overtaking, Judy managed to swallow her heart back down into her chest and managed to croak out as they sped through the city official access into the Sahara Square, the chill of the nighttime desert nibbling at their fur until Nick generously turned up the heat. Falling into silence, Nick caught swift movements on the rooftops and alleys out of the corner of his eyes, clenching his jaw shut. Finnick never got far in life without knowing exactly what was going on around him, and being a Master only turned up that urge to know everything up to eleven. So it was no surprise that the club the fennec fox operated in during "business hours" had a free parking space right next to the door, a heavy set Tiger standing outside with folded arms.

"Little fucker's territory. Next door to you, he should have... Okay, most vamps you've seen are the refined sort. Master Big's boys. Finnick's hive is a little more... primal than that. Just remember, he want peace with the Naturals as much as we do. Don't jump to conclusions."

Looking on in confusion,Judy took a deep breath and steeled herself as she climbed out, self consciously tugging the trench coat tighter around her body as she made to follow Nick. The bouncer made no move to deny them access, simply nodding at the fox in passing as he held the door open.

Inside, pounding bass thrummed against the soles of her feet, the air thick with the scent of sweat and musk as patrons danced in the centre of the dance floor. Booze flowed freely, and here and there Judy spotted several mammals that gave her a metaphorical flick to the ear, only catching on that they were vampires when one began to laugh, flashing his fangs for all to see.

The employees only door saw similar lack of opposition, just nods of familiarity and gazes that followed their backs as they descended into the basement of the building, the bass becoming a heartbeat pounding from above. A paw at her shoulder made her pause and glance up at Nick who sniffed the air deeply.

"One thing you've got to remember Fluff. These old ones, these Masters... were around long before the artificial food source was available to them. They're rather... set in their ways."

She blinked a few times as she twisted the sentence round in her head, vaguely aware of Nick pounding his fist against a door. Realisation dawned, and she whirled round to stare Nick in the eye, nose twitching hard.

"Sweet cheese, you don't mean-"

Cut off by the door opening, she peered inside as Nick strode in, scowl clearly displayed as he folded his arms. Peering round from behind, Judy audibly gasped and covered her mouth.

Tied to a chair with his hands behind the back, was a bull, around 19 or 20 if Judy was any judge, naked as the day he was born. Standing on his thighs, small, pink tongue lapping at a long, thin gash open on his chest was a large eared fennec fox in a similar state of undress, glancing back at the cops with a smirk on his face, ruby red tongue hanging out his muzzle. Using his tail to tease the obviously unresisting young steer between the legs, Finnick held up a paw with a single extended claw and pressed it against the bull's breast, applying just enough pressure to be felt, a low mooing groan rolling out as the bovine squirmed beneath him.

"Fledgeling Hopps. Good to finally meet you. I'm sure we have much to discuss, but first... can I offer you a drink?"


	5. Info Sheet - A Condensed History

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> History edged out over Vampires, so we'll start off with that! Enjoy, and if you have any questions feel free to add them in the comments!
> 
> And I know this was a long time coming, and hardly the level of quality I would like, but I had to write something to get my creative juices flowing again!

 

> An Introduction to the History of the United Mammalian States.
> 
> Foreword by Professor Wile. E. Coyoteson. M. Ed., B. App. Sci., B. I. G. S.

Mammalian history is not as neat and clear cut as we would like to pretend it is.  With the three forces of Prey, Predators and Preternaturals, our civilisation's history couldn't be anything other than the blood soaked mess we have, recently, been able to take control of.

The earliest point in our history as thinking, feeling creatures has been, much to the chagrin of myself and several esteemed colleagues, obscured by the mists of time. Even now there is serious debate over which of the three main types of mammal; Herbivore, Carnivore or Omnivore was the first to take the step to true intelligence. Much of this is due to the sheer lack of archaeological evidence that can be found. What we do know however, is that the reptilian precursors to the Salamander race were the first on this planet, and in my professional career I have personally examined six Salamander dig sites to one Mammalian. It seems the reptilian race was less concerned for Mammalian history than we are about theirs, as many fragments have been found destroyed under Salamander buildings.

Most of what we know about our past comes from our “masters” notes about our races found in such sites. A rather unconcerned lot as far as their slaves were concerned, the Salamanders were mostly content to allow mammals to practice whatever scraps of culture they could hold on to, as long as it did not interfere with their work, “recreational activities” or harmed other slaves. Slaves were rarely separated, Predator and Prey often forced to coexist in close proximity.

It is entirely possible, and a strongly believed theory in the field, that these centuries spent enslaved, working alongside natural foes to support each other against the unnatural ones that had oppressed them, paved the way for the later Agreement that we will explore in greater detail later.

Mammals were kept as slaves long enough for certain primal acts to be buried under the fear of retribution. We cover ourselves in public, and even in private, in the instinctual fear of being vulnerable, of being “chosen”. We no longer groom ourselves with paw and tongue, entrusting chemicals and brushes to take care of ourselves due to it being “unseemly” to our slavers eyes. We stay upright whenever we can, even in matters that would be far more comfortable in a more natural, quadrupedal state, because we must keep our paws ready to work at a moments notice. There has, however, been a mild resurgence of such acts, with more growing each generation. I am sure my fellows in the biological or psychological studies could suggest a dozen theories or more, but the current consensus seems to support the theory that our perceived “civilised” acts are a result of our Salamander blood in our veins. With each generation, this blood thins, and our own strengthens.

As much as it may have Domesticated us, their tastes and perverse pleasure in the unnatural proved to be the Salamanders undoing, through mingling their blood with our own. Though we are still no closer to discovering a certain day, season or even year when it took place, the Rebellion is still a practiced holiday even to this day, several centuries later. Our ancestors, with a high enough ratio of Salamander to Mammal blood leading to the “demon” borne powers that we see today, rose up and overthrew our oppressors, leading Mammals to freedom once more.

Of course, Happy Endings are rather rare in history. Freed from our shackles, Mammals backslid to more feral acts for anything up to two centuries, though again we lack evidence to give a more definite figure. Predators in particular were free to hunt “wild meat”, a practice which continues to this day in the more isolated, “Primal” settlements outside of the United Mammalian States. I am loathe to use the term “Cult” here, but many of these Primal states tend to take natural practices to the extremes, both Predator and Prey. Ruthless treatment of “food”, constant rutting to supply the numbers required for such acts and blatant disregard for sentient rights are the norm. And though i must remain impartial publishing my work, it is my personal belief that the dwindling population figures for these regions can only be a good thing.

What separates us from them is the Agreement. The great peace between Predator and Prey that led to the union of the usually isolated species. Caninda, Felindae, The Burrows, and more, all joining together to overcome base urges. To recognise the most basic of truths in this world; that all mammals are equal. All mammals deserve safety. Peace. Understanding.

The Agreement, unfortunately verbal in nature when first devised, dates back to shortly after the dark period after our emancipation. It is believed to have formed first between the Ungalates and Canines to protect the herds from my own ancestors who would use them as a food supply. Details are scarce, as with much of our history, but evidence points to the prey allowing predators to respectfully remove the corpses of those who had fallen of natural causes. The more traditional bug farming and fishing industry did not come about until much later.

It is worth noting that this practice does continue, albeit in a more controlled method. With the sheer size of our combined population, burials and cremations are, shall we say, unpractical. And predators, while young, still need more protein in their diet to develop properly. It is one of our least talked about open secrets. I feel slight shame personally when I think back to my youth, my mother bringing home a government approved and sealed package every month while I was developing. The memory of the flavour never truely leaves a Predator, though some of the richer members may purchase “protein” before it is “ripe”. My colleague, a cervine, has already, in essence, sold himself after death for funds now. While many are understandably squeamish regarding this, those prey who take on this practice simply see it as disposing of a now empty shell after a long and good life. In many ways a better end than their ancestors would have received.

While the Agreement was decided centuries prior, and spread out from a handful of species to the taxonomically wide example we see today, it was only five centuries ago that the official Declaration was sighed by the heads of the major states at the time. While not every race was physically capable of signing, either due to distance or equipment difficulties, it was a given understanding that all races were to be included. Ceremonial in nature now, the United Nations re-sign a far more comprehensive document every ten years, updating the wording to follow the times. The next such signing is due to be undertaken in two years, from the time of this publishing.

Many would be forgiven for believing the Agreement would be the end of our troubles, no more hunting, no more culling. Such a peace only lasted several decades however, before the third party made themselves known.

The Preturnatural. Those with enhanced abilities, through blood, infection or other, less well understood means, exploded onto the scenes circa. 420 years ago. Their usual method of feeding, hidden among the bodies of those slaughtered for meat or culled in self defence, was no longer viable. While the oldest of the Preter clans may still have records detailing exactly what happened during this time of upheaval, they have, rather annoyingly, refused researcher access to their histories beyond spoken word. 

As the vampires state, there was a schism within their ranks. Those who saw the recent peace as something they could work towards, and others who saw it as the time for themselves to take over, to control their “cattle” much like the Salamanders before. This civil war spilled out into the streets of towns and villages across the territories, revealing their true nature to Mammalkind.

As with any time of great upheaval, records are infrequent. Several versions of the same story, written by several paws have obscured the truth behind fear, anger, praise and pride. Whilst several collaborating facts match up, such as the Preter clans training Natural mammals in the method of slaying their once fellows, who was right and who was wrong have been lost to the murky fog of time.

Regardless, it is an indisputable fact that the Accord between Preter and Natural was written up 185 years ago. This document, much like the Agreement, works to inspire cooperation and peace between our races. No Preter may feed or otherwise influence a Natural. No Natural may slay a Preter without legal backing.

This is not to suggest the proceedings went smoothly. There were several key disappearances on both sides, many turning up desiccated and bound, staked and beheaded, encased in silver. More were never seen again. But it is a fact that fewer such incidents are occurring every year. And it is my personal belief that with understanding and patience, a peaceful society may be within our grasp.

After so many centuries swimming in blood, our civilisation may finally be able to stand on dry land and with heads held high, proud that we have finally, finally, overcame the past that held us back.

> Excerpt from Professor Coyoteson’s paper “Culture And Blood” published three months before his Turning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter adds a few of my personal headcanons, mostly what happens to prey bodies after death. Also, trying to create a bigger world than just one city state. Any mammal may be welcome, but I bet there are still backward countries out there.


	6. Tricks of the Trade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Judy gets some much needed training from an actual vampire... And Nick follows on some leads of his own.

Nick watched the bunny squirm with an almost sadistic grin on his face, finally intervening after Judy started babbling something about dungeons. Walking ahead of her, the fox did an about face and flicked his tail to the side, obscuring some of the more risqué articles on view whilst shamelessly glancing over his shoulder, eyes flicking down then up, his voice exasperated.

”You knew we were coming. Can we just skip the theatrics, just this once?”

Finn rolled his eyes and gave a long suffering sigh as he turned back to the Bull, murmuring something too quietly for the fox to overhear and lowered his mouth over the deepest part of the gash. Judy watched in morbid fascination as the fennec suckled on the wound, drawing out the bull’s hot blood with one paw holding himself in place and the other gently stroking the bull’s chest reassuringly. For a few moments the only sound was the slightly obscene wet suction and the bull’s gasps, Finn’s cheeks hollowing, quietly slurping until the small vampire’s thirst was sated.

Judy felt as though she handled the situation well. Her mouth was suddenly dry as her, admittedly, constantly twitching nose drank in the scent of fresh Mammalian blood, fingers gripping at her folded arms tightly. As the Fennec began climbing off, removing restraints and bringing the steer’s clothes back, she glanced at Nick, reluctantly following his lead. The Fox said nothing as bandages were placed over the wound and a not unsubstantial volume of cash exchanged hands. It wasn’t a rare occurance among the more wealthier vampires, despite how much easier BioBlood would be to obtain. Like comparing drinking water to fine whiskey he had been told. Of course, not everyone in the community saw things the same way, Preters and Naturals. The “Donaters” had various names among those who made use of their services, the most obvious slur being “Blood Whores”. A mammal who allowed vamps to drink for cash.

Nick knew how well Finn demanded the willing prey to be treated by his Hive. No fangs, no obvious markings, fully consenting... And if they say stop, or use the safe word, you stop, regardless of how much you’ve fed. Those that “forget” this little rule usually get the oppurtunity to watch one last sunrise.

He shifted his weight slightly and ignored the faint bunching of scar tissue around his shoulder. Instead, he glanced down to judge Judy’s face, wondering if this was pushing things too fast for her. Her steel like grip was only matched by her unnaturally enforced calm expression, and he made a mental note to discuss it later.

Finn watched as the young bull walked up the stairs, back into the club with a pocket full of cash and no one the wiser. Reluctantly, he reached for his own small pile of clothes and lazily began to pull them on.

”Good kid... Studying to be a doctor, taking all kinds of classes. You know how those schools scalp folks for tuition though.”

He turned back to Nick and the Fledgeling after zipping up, pulling a packet of smokes from his pocket.

”This isn’t a bad deal for him flatfoot. He gets a large meal after I’ve fed, enough cash to cover rent and some expenses on top of his wage, and gets to explore some rather risky kinks in a safe environment.”

He points the unlit cigarette at her face, flicking a lighter open.

”So I would appreciate it,  ** _FLEDGELING_** if you would keep silent about what you see here.”

Judy mentally flinched as a wave of... something washed over her, feeling whisps of Cotten wool on the edge of her conciousness. Shaking her head to clear it, she took a step towards the half naked fox, ignoring Nick’s attempt to hold her back, and jabbed her finger into his chest.

”If I suspect, for one second, that anyone here isn’t one hundred percent consenting-“

She wasn’t quite sure what happened after that. In a blur of motion the span of a heartbeat, she was pushed against the wall, arm twisted up her back and a rather impressed sounding fox by her ear.

”Never met any Fledgeling so young that could shake off a Master’s influence so easily... You got potential Fluff.”

The pressure vanished as quickly as it came, and Judy twisted round onto her back, gripping her shoulder and rolling it around whilst biting back a wince. The fox, shorter than her, had easily overpowered her, even with her new vampiric strength added to the mix and was now lazily lighting and puffing at a cigarette as though he hadn’t almost tore her arm from its socket. To give him his due, she was grudgingly impressed.

”Right. Nick said you Masters were old. And powerful.”

Said fox, unfolding his arms, now stepped between the two, glancing down at each.

”Are we through? Wanna open your jaws and compare fang sizes next?”

Finn smirked and grabbed his shirt, patting Nick’s thigh as he passed.

”Now now Nick, you know it’s not the size that counts...”

Nick rolled his eyes and followed the older vampire, gesturing to Judy to fall in behind him. Instead of heading back up the stairwell, Finn led them behind it to a small, out of the way door partially hidden in the shadows, his fist thumping against it with a deceptively heavy thunk.  A slot halfway up was pulled aside, and a pair of beady eyes peered out, focusing on the fox. Wordlessly, it was closed over and the heavy looking door began to swing inwards silently on well oiled hinges. A hyena, with a slightly creepy grin on his face, watched Nick and Judy wander in, swinging the steel slab closed with a lazy push. She could practically feel his eyes burning a trail down the sleek black leather, following the slight curve of her back and burning holes in the skin tight covering around her tail, and had to bite her dulled claws into her palms to avoid another outburst like before. Some deep buried instinct told her that she wouldn’t walk away with only an aching shoulder this time.

The hyena followed the procession of mammals, soon coming up to another door. This one, obviously hearing the pounding of the first, had already spied the Master and his guests from afar, holding it open. This guard, a tiger, was a scarred mess around his arms, his teeth, not including his fangs, a little too sharp to be natural. Like his counterpart, he followed behind, elbow digging into the skeevy hyena’s gut as they exchanged suggestive, leering chuckles.

Putting a little more speed into her footsteps so she was level to Nick and not trailing behind, she tried to tell herself that it was just to keep up the professional look of the thing. Not that she was afraid that the two would take certain advantages if given the chance. Without a glance down at her, Nick flicked his tail from side to side in slow, lazy arcs that happened to hide her hips from view for a few seconds. A flick of the ear, easily explained away as an itch, was hopefully obvious as a silent thank you as she could muster. If he was half as good as he said, and she thought, he’d catch it.

As the pair followed Finn to a simple, If ornately carved door, the Master gave a brief gesture. With barely a sound their two escorts vanished into the shadows like smoke, though the almost physical pressure of their eyes kept pushing down on them. Swinging the door open and Boeing his head slightly in invitation, Finn led the cops into his privste office, reaching under his desk and pulling out a can almost as tall as his head. Nick barely paused to glance around the room before slipping into one of the large, plush armchairs in front of the vampire’s desk, Judy taking a little more time to try and shake the creeping sensation along her spine before following suit, slipping a mask of calm mild interest into place. Cracking open the chilled beer and lifting his feet onto the desk, the Master leaned back with a weary sigh.

”So officers. What can I do for you?”

—————————————

 A clawed finger tapped slowly against the now empty beer can, list in thought as he stared into the varnished grain of the wooden desk. The request wasn’t unreasonable, given the circumstances, but there had been stirrings within his Hive, those with a few decades under their belts making their opinions about the Master being so close to a cop heard. And heard loudly. If he were to personally start training up a Fledgeling, especially another cop, it would only give them more ammunition to use against him. Maybe even give them the stones to actually try and usurp him.

Those same stones would be decorating his office until they rotted to nothing of course, he had at least a century on the loudest voices combined. Anger and bile do not power and strategy make. On the other hand, open fighting within his Hive would be throwing the door wide open for Master Big to muscle in on his territory. He would come through unscathed, he always did, but in every scenario he could see various chunks of his unofficial empire snipped away.

His claw tapped against the can again and held there, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards. An opportunity... Those plotting against him would still need the backing of the younger bloods. As long as they were content, his rivals would never amass the backing necessary to rise against him. Pulling the can closer, he tipped the last of the booze back and crushed the metal with a careless squeeze, tossing it carelessly.

”Walk with me you two.”

Ignoring the look exchanged between them, Finn led them past a pair of surly guards he was almost certain was working for one, or more, of his rivals, coming to a door with a spray painted drop of blood on the side. Without considering the fact the two wouldn’t follow, Finn led them inside, eyes flicking left and right into various alcoves. Most were empty, but here and there were a few young bloods, lapping at shallow wounds of various mammals. Making a mental note to come down here more often until the situation resolved itself, Finn gestured to the rows of empty “stalls”, glancing over his shoulder at Nick.

”I can help train up your little bunny Nick. But I need a little something in exchange.”

The trio watched, one more disturbed than the others, as a mammal was released by the pair of vamps who had currently fed from him, carrying him between them out through a set of doors at the back. Finn in particular scrutinised them as they walked past, eyes focusing through them to something only he could see.

”A soft place to sleep. A warm meal. Basic medicines. You’d be surprised how many folk in this city would allow a hungry vampire at their veins in exchange for any of them. The ‘housing disadvantaged’ of this city are grateful for what we provide.”

A swift gesture and he was off again, twisting and turning through various corridors.

”We had a reputable set up here. Not all of my Drones can afford regular BioBlood. If they need to, they can come here to feed... We always took care of those who came here willingly...”

The next corridor was empty, the fennec growling deep in his throat as he twisted round to face Nick.

”But now, the people I dealt with, that I  _protected_ are missing, without a trace. I’ve sent down feelers, but they’ve evaporated like morning mist, leaving all their shit behind.”

With folded arms and lowered ears, the Master bared his fangs, almost hissing at the world.

”Someone has been scooping people off the streets. None of them have shown up again. Not exactly a fitting task for a  _cop_ , but you Nick... Find me something to go on. A place, a name, something. And in return, i’ll train your Fledgeling into something approaching an actual vampire.”

——————————————

Judy could barely hear herself think as she followed the snapping tail of Nick, almost skipping around and between various dancers, struggling to process what she had just seen.

Sure, in Precint One she had to ask a few drunks to find somewhere other than a doorway to sleep in from time to time. But the idea that there was a sizeable homeless population on the streets, who had to resort to practically selling their bodies for the most basic of basics... And now, learning that many had gone missing the past few months, she couldn’t decide wether to trust her optimistic side, that they simply found a way to be better off, or to listen to the Cynic Cop she had developed walking the beat for a few years. As much as she wanted to believe in her idealistic self, pragmatism slammed down hard on her. The odds of finding anyone in a healthy condition were probably next to zero.

Climbing back into the passenger seat and rubbing at her face a few times, she only barely remembered to buckle up as Nick started reversing.

”So... What’s our next move?”

She winced under her breath as Nick broke about three road safety laws merging with the general traffic, deciding to just close her eyes and deal with the most immediate task at hand. Nick’s cavalier attitude to driving was probably going to have to sit for a later date.

” _We_ do nothing. I will look for the missing... folk, while you spend some time at the station. Run the gun course, find someone to spar with, whichever.”

A paw moved from steering wheel to Bunny mouth faster than Judy had anticipated, thankful that the fox had the sense to at least keep his eyes on the road.

”I have a few contacts I can chase up, but they won’t talk to other cops. And you need to get used to using your Sundowner before progressing to the fancy vampire stuff.”

He spared her a glance during a red light, almost smirking.

”And maybe find something other than rubber to wear.”

With an exasperated sigh the rabbit flopped back against the chai, looking down at herself.

”Oh, I am so way ahead of you...”

———————————————

**Relay Established**

**Code Scrambling**

**Connection... Secure**

**Transmitting**

 

Your little science project escaped.

_Boys will be Boys.

It attacked a police officer!

_I heard. Interesting how it didn’t immediately devolve into bloodlust however. Must run more tests.

The cop survived! She turned! What the hell am I hiring you for? I want the unholy freaks exterminated, and here you are making more on my dime!

_Did you say turned? Fascinating! I never included an infectious vector during testing. Must be a natural response once the host is fully conditioned. Must get a sample of the new subject, I trust you can have it sent to me.

Do you ever watch the news? She’s practically famous. I can’t make her disappear. And now some of the freaks are sniffing round for your... test subjects.

_Then deal with them. Or is that beyond your abilities “Mayor”?

**Connection Severed**

_You blind, over zealous idiot. You have no idea what those “Freaks” are capable of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t help but feel this chapter is too short... but I hope you enjoy regardless!


	7. Trails

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick follows his nose, and other senses, in his search for a sign of the missing mammals.
> 
> (Nick only chapter)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This and the following chapter are to be be considered happening at the same time. For now, Enjoy Nick’s chapter, with a few hints as to his Preter species here and there... If anyone guesses, i’ll Be very impressed...
> 
> (Also, as most Preturnatural book series these days have quite graphic sex scenes... yay or nay? Vote in the comments!)

Once the rabbit was dropped off close enough to the Precinct, but closer still to the shopping district to do something about that dominatrix “uniform”, Nick headed back to Finn’s club, tapping the wheel urgently as the midnight traffic reached its peak. Part of him was oddly hurt that the fennec hadn’t thought to bring the disappearances to his attention, cop or not. The two had ran together after his father walked out on him and his mother’s car accident, and despite the badge he always regarded the vampire as an older sibling, or in extreme cases, a father figure.

During a crawl in front of a red light, the fox reached up and felt under his collar, fingers probing the ugly scarred tissue hidden there. Even after parting ways, getting into trouble, Finn had always bailed him out. Sometimes literally, as he turned to the dubiously legal to earn some cash. He had always considered it a two way street, most often involving daylight business for the vampire’s Hive, or using what legal powers he could muster to deal with protestors, vandals and the like. To have been shut out like this, after everything they had been through... The more cynical part of the fox reminded him that Nick’s lifespan so far was practically a blip to the old Master, something easily replaced and forgotten. Stamping down firmly on that thought, he turned into the path leading back to the Club.

The space was still cleared for him, the same bouncer nodding as he parked a little haphazardly and strode around to the nearest alley entrance. As sympathetic as he made his goals out to be, Nick knew that Finn couldn’t just allow the homeless of Zootopia to just walk in the front door. His suspicions were confirmed as he spied a dingy, dirt coloured door with a red stencilled blood drop carefully hidden in the corner. That gave him a starting point at least.

Inhaling the faintly musty air of the alley, millions of years of evolution helped the fox to latch onto the faintest hints of blood, an open or poorly wrapped wound, steadily luring him deeper into the dark. Suppressing a wince, he lowered himself to all fours to follow the trail, carefully padding through discarded trash, suspicious stains and reeking puddles, ears folded back. A mammalhole cover, slightly ajar, lay at the end of his path, hauling the slab of metal aside with barely a grunt of strain. Inky blackness rose up to meet him, and a cautious feel beneath the opening resulted in a small box of matches. At least he knew he was on the right track.

Forgoing the boxed light, Nick dropped straight down past the ladder, landing on hand and knee. Despite himself, Nick grinned while straightening up, hands in pockets as he confidently strode forward, away from the pale light from the surface. Even foxes, famed for their night vision, could hardly make their way without some light, whether it be from the moon or the stars, or in these more modern times, candles or torches.

Nick hummed to himself as he stepped over a pipe lurking on the ground, pausing onto to glance at a nearby tunnel opening.

Dead end about fifty meters in, behind the curved wall. No good.

He always had mixed reactions to the dark. On the one paw, it was definitely his element. He was always the most comfortable, most confident with the comforting weight that true darkness lent the air on his shoulders. On the other, he knew exactly whom to blame for that comfort, and resented it, along with all other memories of the mammal. 

With years of practice, he took a deep breath, ignoring the ever present stink of rot and worse besides and continued forward, mentally mapping the sewer tunnels as he went. His only real blind spots were the spaces beneath other mammalholes, the light filtering down through the cracks and gaps blinding his sixth sense. Movement in the darkness pulled his focus back, the edges of his senses mapping out the moving ball of empty space. Someone was heading for Finn’s, someone carrying a light source of some kind. The only question was friend or foe?

He ducked into a side tunnel and pulled the darkness around himself tightly, not even an outline to betray his presence as he watched, wincing, as the traveller passed his hidey hole. Forcing his eyes to adapt to the far too bright light, he grinned and stepped forward, feet silent as he stepped onto the traveller’s shadow, reaching out...

The candle fell to the ground, snuffed out almost immediately by the damp, and with an audible sigh of relief hauled the mustelid up against the wall, sinking hands into pockets.

”Duke... isn’t this a surprise...”

The squirming weasel went slack and folded his ears back, lightly tugging at the insubstantial bonds holding him aloft.

”N-Nicky... old p-pal...”

Nick and Duke has a tumulus relationship at best. The weasel had his fingers in so many pies he was usually a good source of information, or unlikely links between seemingly unrelated crimes. Just managing to stay useful enough to be thrown back to the streets and out of a jail cell.

Being honest with himself however, Nick probably has to admit that even a single night in the cells would do wonders for him. A hot meal with named ingredients for one thing. Trained medical staff for another. Duke always looked as though he was one meal away from the grave, and there were rumours that he tended to hover around the few still functioning cemeteries, especially when a new burial was in the works. He couldn’t call it a soft spot and keep a straight face, but Nick was certainly invested in keeping his source functional.

Reaching out, he carefully turned Duke’s head from side to side, clicking his tongue at the still healing scars, feeling a brief pang of sympathy pain around his own throat.

”Duke, you can’t keep running from Vamp to Vamp... one day, someone just isn’t gonna stop.”

Jerking his head free, glaring aproximately where Nick’s voice came from, Duke bared his teeth, sharper than expected, struggling harder.

”Not all of us have two Masters at his back! Some of us have to do anything to get by!”

His voice faltered a little and the teeth were hidden behind lips once more, mumbling softly.

”And... Somewhere you know you’ll be safe, you get me? Safer at least... somethings sweeping the streets these past couple of months...”

Nick’s lips twitched in the beginnings of a smirk as he reaches for his notebook, tapping out the pencil from its spiral binder. Keep him talking long enough, and Duke has a habit of spitting out what you were looking for without even realising it.

”Really? In that case Duke, tell me all about it...”

—————————————

 It sounded like a good deal. A hot meal and warm bed in exchange for some manual labour? There were always some construction crews running up to a deadline, budget or both after all. Or if one of the richer citizens had nooks and crannies they’d rather keep off the official planning permission, a group of Day-by-Day labourers knew how to keep things quiet.

Even from this distance however, Nick could tell something was off. The vans were too new, too clean to be one of the myriad construction firms in the city. The rams that guided, and on one occasion shoved, the mammals into the vans weren’t very skilled at concealing weapons, and the unmistakable bulge of a glock pressed out from their thigh. 

What really set his hackles up however was the ewe, standing oh so innocently with her too-big glasses and a little clipboard and pen. Taking names, making interested noises, scribbling notes...

Nick hadn’t survived this long by ignoring his gut, and everything was screaming at him to keep his distance from her.

Pulling his notebook out again, he squinted to scribble off the plate numbers as they began hauling off their live cargo.  Unless he severely overestimated the brains behind the rams, they would likely be fake, but that could be useful too. Only a dozen mammals in the city could make such convincing replicas, and he knew them all. 

With the coast clear and notebook safely secured in his pocket, the fox crept over to where the gathering had been, moving swiftly enough to appear as though he was gliding effortlessly just above the ground. Diesel fumes filled his nostrils, grimacing as he attempted to push through to the more natural scents beneath. Unfortunately the ewe seemed to be wearing at least three different types of perfume, causing Nick to admit defeat a few minutes later, covering his snout with a paw as he reeled from the oncroaching headache.

While not as much information as the fox would like, it was still more than he had arrived with, chalking it up as a win. Straightening himself back upright, he opened his eyes just long enough to see the 2x4 coming in fast.

Despite the air of civility that kept society going, there was no denying the instincts that lurked beneath the surface. Instincts that allowed the wooden plank to sweep harmlessly through the collection of shadows that had mere moments before been a fox, the ram swaying as momentum pulled him forward. Sweeping around him, over him, whisps of smoke like shadows grabbed at the attacker’s limbs, pulling him back down to the ground, wrapping the bleating, squirming ram in a translucent web of black.

Seconds after he registered the incoming wood, Nick was quite happily sitting atop the immobilised Ram’s chest, peering down at him, his eyes darker pits in the vaguely fox shaped fog. The panic and fear from the ungulate sent a short shiver through Nick, helping himself as he drew on it further and further...

~~_You have answers I want and I’ll get them... one way or another..._ ~~

The Ram arched his back in the bonds, wheezing, gasping, before slumping back down, his body going slack. Cautiously, Nick poked at his snout, then reached under to press solidifying fingers against a far too still throat.

 ~~ _Well, b_~~ _uggar_ me...”

Nick snorted and folded his arms as the last of him pulled back to corporeality, glancing from Ram to his car parked some distance away. With a sigh, he climbed off the petrified chest and started hauling at his legs, cursing with every other breath.


	8. Femme Fatale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new look and a helping hand. Judy finds a familiar face.

Judy watched her new partner drive off, tyres squealing in protest as he took a turn through an Amber light and awkwardly traced the crease the seatbelt had made in her “uniform”. Nick was right about one thing. The sooner she found a replacement for the fetish gear masquerading as cop gear, the better.

Pulling the trench coat tighter around her, she picked a direction at random, sticking to the sides of the dimly lit, yet busy streets. If she kept her eyes away from the obviously black sky, she could almost pretend she was back at Savannah Central on an overcast day. Mammals of all shapes and sizes went back and forth, singly or in groups, laughing, talking, arguing... Just like every other citizen she came across.

The faint little “zing” in the back of her head was near constant however. It was surprising just how many tripped off her new sense; a tiger checking his phone, one of a pair of Antelope carrying a brown bag of groceries, arguing under their breath, several shrews carrying bags almost as big as they were...

With a faint wince she rubbed the spot between her eyes and glanced at the nearest clothing store she was passing, slipping in through the doors to get away from the crowd more than her initial goal of replacing her outfit. The interior was blissfully devoid of customers, and the slowly growing headache started to calm down, the doe letting out a small sigh of relief.

With the pain easing, she actually took a moment to examine her surroundings, passing curious eyes over the racks and shelves. The store was surprisingly Size friendly rather than catering to a specific range, with outfits and displays set out with the smallest to the ground and the largest brushing the ceiling. Even the check out counter, unoccupied for now, had both an elevator for micro mammals and a set of stairs for the smaller folks like herself.

Her cop instincts questioned why it was so quiet if it was so inclusive, but she tramped it down firmly. She was still the new girl here, with so many things in this district just different enough to invoke all kinds of Uncanny Valley reactions from her. Folk crossing the city via rooftop for example, while frowned upon in the main city below was seen as a perfectly valid method of travel up here among the cliffs.

Running her fingers down the pile of folded outfits, she carefully teased a promising looking light blue vest out and unfolded it, pressing it against her chest critically.

”As much as I adore the colour, I doubt that’s the best pick for you.”

Twisting on her heel sharply, the doe came face to face with a grinning muzzle not two feet from her, taking a step back in reflex. The rabbit watched her with a calm smile on his face, and gestured to the next set of shelves over.

”Sorry if I startled you, but if you’re looking for a... replacement... I would suggest darker colours...”

 The black striped rabbit reached past Judy to tease out a far darker crimson, unfolding half of it and holding it up against her arm.

”You’re a new cop, right? Pretty much all of them came in here within the first week.”

He gave a short chuckle before clicking his tongue, swiftly refolding the shirt and reaching for another. Somehow, Judy found herself in front of a mirror, several bundles of clothes piling up on a nearby chair, all presented by the unnamed rabbit.

”I must say, you’re a tricky one miss...?”

”Judy. Officer Judy, and is this your store sir?”

Holding up a deep navy blue, the rabbit’s eyes lit up, grabbing the pile of discards and setting them aside for later, starting to grab various styles.

”Oh no, no, I’m just a frequent customer... The owners do most of their own custom work upstairs you see...”

With perhaps a touch more force than necessary, Judy gripped the buck’s wrist as he went in to press another shirt against him, ignoring his faint wince.

”While I admire your... enthusiasm for helping me out, I’m not some doll to dress up. Sir.”

The rabbit stared in confusion from Judy to his wrist and back again before setting the rather skimpy tank top aside, his ears turning a shade darker on the inside, half folding back.

”Of course, Officer, not my intention at all. Here, why don’t I... Um... can I have my wrist back?”

Cradling his now released hand to his chest, the Buck gestured her to come over to the front desk, pulling out a large binder from below. The calm, almost suave vaneer he had hidden behind previously was gone, replaced by a meeker, shyer buck, ears swept back as he turned several pages rapidly.

”Sir...”

”Officer, if I wasn’t trusted enough, do you think the owners would have left me here? Now, take a look at these...”

Clamping the binder in place, he twisted it around for her to look through, a hesitant smile on his face that nevertheless put Judy more at ease. Flirtatious bucks were a dime a dozen and come in two, easily dealt with breeds. Though not as radiant as when she first stepped inside the store, it at least felt more genuine. Humouring him for now, she glanced down at the pencilled sketches and designs, pausing to look back over a diagram she had skimmed just prior.

”As I said Ma’am... Officer. A lot of new Preter cops come here. See here? Interconnecting steel rods provide good defence for your average blunt weapon, even with a shifter’s strength behind the blow. And here, Kevlar fibres interwoven with the Cotten, plus allows the garment to breathe wonderfully. And over here...”

Holding up her hand to stem the flow, Judy found herself unable to prevent the smile crossing her lips. The Buck’s obvious knowledge and eagerness infectious despite herself.

”Okay, consider me convinced. Are you a Tailor mr...?”

Closing and returning the binder, the buck shook his head with a chuckle, ears completely laid back against his head.

”Jackson, though most just call me Jack. And... Maybe once I could have, but... I’ll try and rouse someone for measurement duty, if you’ll step into the waiting room?”

He gestured towards a door with a faded sign on the front and bounded up the nearby staircase with ease, leaving Judy alone with her thoughts. Mostly, if every officer in the Cliffs ZPD department replaced their uniform, why was the damn thing not changed? Or was it one of Midnight Cliff’s unique hazing rituals, like parking duty back at precinct one?

Musing on this while tugging at a sleeve awkwardly, she almost didn’t notice the trio of bats swooping in through a vent in the ceiling, notebook in one’s claws and a tape measure hanging between the two others. The flying foxes performed a lazy circle around her with critical eyes before shooing her through a doorway with hanging streamers obscuring the interior from sight, coaxing her onto the dias in the middle of the room.

The three were certainly passionate about their craft. Forget a dress up doll, now she felt more like an action figure, ordered into several poses, a handful seeming incredibly unlikely.

Scowling faintly, she watched the measurement bats call out the figure from hip to knee while holding herself in a kicking motion, feeling a faint strain in her muscles before they allowed her to relax. All the while, Notebook as she had mentally begun to regard her as, was scribbling and doodling, calling out each and every pose. The thin Itrea pencil was tossed aside as she let out a squeak of victory, holding the sketched design as she flapped in front of her face and-

That... wasn’t a bad look for her.

There was almost a homely feel to the design, something that wouldn’t look out of place back in the fields back home. Obviously designed for practicality in mind, the jeans and shirt combo were perfect for making use of her natural rabbit abilities, plus her blossoming vampire ones. The little list at the side detailing whatever little bonuses they could slip into the gear was fairly extensive, though she noted that several of the more useful ones had small asterisks next to them. A few colour options were below the main sketches, mostly dark shades such as navy blue and deep forest green, perfect for when she had to, well, lurk around at night.

All in all, a vast improvement on her current outfit. And incredibly expensive.

”There is no way I can afford all this.”

Gathering up their equipment, the bats giggled to each other before Notebook carefully landed on her back, crawling up to Judy’s shoulder.

”Its for a good cause, so officers first time purchases have a large discount. Just show us your badge dearie.”

The resulting discount did make it easier to swallow, but a part of her balked at the price nevertheless before she rationalised it out. Fewer food bills to pay, and the ZPD paying rent on her new tower apartment meant she had more surplus cash each payday, something she would have to get used to at some point.

Order slip in hand, she bid the bats and Jackson goodbye, heading out into the streets while the tailors looked on.

As soon as the rabbit was out of sight, Jackson’s nervous smile smoothly switched to a thoughtful expression, standing a little straighter. Barely registering the additional weight on his back as the bats landed and gripped, he began ascending the stairs to their den, rubbing his chin.

”Something on your mind?”

”Just idle thoughts... remarkably strong for such a young vampire... i don’t think she even noticed my attempts to free myself.”

”Meaning?”

Jackson lifted the trapdoor to the attic space where dozens of bats swooped here and there, carrying materials to dummies and sewing them with a care and subtlety only a micro mammal could accomplish. Setting the notebook near a micro sized architect’s table, he teased open the curtains covering the circular window, glancing down in time to spy the bunny cop rounding a corner.

”Meaning for now, we keep an eye on her. It’s probably nothing, but best to cover our bases.”

”And the outfit? Shall we install some... security precautions?”

Jackson gave a short smile and looked up at the waxing moon in the sky, eyes near glowing with its light.

”No... No, I think Officer Hopps will surprise us all...”

 

———————————————

 

The firing range was busier than any she had previoudly visited, but no less loud. Industrial ear plugs were the order of the day, and after a refresher of the hand signals Health and Safety demanded, she found herself at a surprigingly Small size range.

 The Sundowner was heavy in her grip, still waiting on her modified one from the armoury, but she had gotten used to handling larger equipment. Setting herself up for some Megafauna targets first, she re-checked the magazine for “harmless” copper rounds, ramming it Home and cocking.

Her first shot went wild, slamming the target at the tip of the shoulder. To the average citizen it would be a debilitating blow, but for mammals like her...

Inhale. Exhale. Hold. Squeeze.

The second shot fared better, to the chest but lacking that critical shot to the heart and major arteries. She was aware of several footsteps stopping behind her, tuning her observers out of mind with practiced ease. Everyone loved watching the small bunny struggle in the big bad world after all.

Inhale. Exhale. Hold. Squeeze.

Her lips twitched upwards in satisfaction as the chest was suddenly ventilated in a lethal blow, disarming her weapon before pushing the dummy recall button. The handcannon was too barrel heavy to aim properly for long, but the crowd of officers behind her didn’t need to know that. Thumping the switch for a replacement dummy, she gripped the pistol right and rose it back up.

Inhale. Exhale. Hold. Squeeze.

————————————

Two hour’s and Five dummies later, the red light above her range lit up, causing her to, almost, miss her latest target. Quickly yanking the magazine free and checking the chamber, she stowed her weapon away and stepped back, pulling the ear guards down around her neck. Nick met her gaze from behind the observation window, jerking his thumb over his should with a grim expression on his face. 

Practice rounds and Sundowner returned to the armoury, she teased the earplugs free while stepping in line with Nick as he  marched down the corridor, tail snapping harshly.

”I’m guessing you found something.”

The Fox grunted and turned sharply, leading the rabbit downstairs. The fur at the back of her neck tingled as she spotted the sign for the Morgue pass by, just as Nick opened and held the door for her.

”Found something, yeah. Could be a lead.”

The faint chill was slightly comforting as it wrapped itself around Judy, Nick ignoring the cold as he approached the occupied table, several gowned mammals checking their equipment.

”Nicholas. Good, good. And madam Judith, a pleasure.”

The faint zing in the back of her mind alerted her before the jackal flashed her fangs in a brief grin, gesturing to them ram laying nude on the metal slab.

”Rather interesting case my young Tod. No identification, no wallet, no jewellery... hardly unusual for your every day John Buck. But if you see here... and here...”

Carefully the vampire eased open the sheep’s mouth, running a finger over even, identical teeth, then moved onto his hooves, rotating them round.

”Teeth filed, hooves branded, a rather extreme measure of removing any means of tracing even a name. We’re waiting for X-rays in the hope he may have an implant we can trace, but odds are quite slim.”

Judy gripped the table firmly as she stared at the ram’s face, the sounds of the mortician and Nick’s conversation fading into the background. Blank, empty hourglass eyes stared into her own, and a distinct sense of Deja Vu washed over her, nose twitching as she felt phantom hands grabbing her arms and-

“Officer Hopps? Bunicula, you still with me?”

Judy jerked as she pulled herself free from murky, half remembered memories, twisting to see both Jackal and Fox watching her with faint expressions of concern. Forcing her fingers to uncurl, she let go of the coroners table and dropped to the ground, flexing her fingers slowly.

”Don’t call me Bunicula... who is this guy anyway?”

Reluctantly dropping it, Nick gave a shrug, looking over the Ram once more.

”Definetely one of the creeps involved in the disappearance of the homeless mammals. Tried to get the drop on me, but... well. Already gave my report to Ewari but...”

He scowled, shoving hands in his pockets as they left the body to the examiners, taking the stairs two at a time.

”She pulled me from the case, said we had to get you up to speed before throwing ourselves into a case. Much as I hate to admit it, she has a point.”

Judy grimaced alittle But concedes the point as Nick had done. Throwing herself into hunting down a thief or a reckless driver was one thing, but there were lives on the line this time. Without a firm grasp of what she could and couldn’t do, she would only hinder any investigation as much as help.

”Will what you found out convince Finnick to help us?”

The fox gave a thoughtful hum as he directed them back towards the garage, not noticing Judy’s sudden reluctance to follow him.

”Knowing what to tell folks to watch out for will help, but probably not as much as he was hoping for. Honestly, it’s fifty fifty right now.”

Climbing into his personal car with rather more care than the cruiser, he waited until Judy had strapped herself in with more force than he thought was warranted, wondering how to bring the other subject he had wanted to discuss up.

”So, you seemed kind of deep in thought back there Fluff. Any ideas?”

Elbow on the door frame and chin in hand, Judy looked out onto the Cliffs as Nick pulled them out of the garage, her free hand slowly rubbing at the faint scarring at her neck.

”Nothing really. Just...”

She closed her eyes and fell back into the murky remembrance once more, the soft car seat behind her back replaced by cold brickwork, the seatbelt by hooved hands, panic, fear,  _pain_ filling her body as she began to sink into the black and-

“He just looked... really familiar. That’s all.”

She forced those thoughts back into the furthest corners of her mind and shook her head with a mental command to snap out of it, looking over to give her partner a carefully fangless smile that she only half felt.

After all, it’s not like a vampire could have filed his teeth down and died of a heart attack, right?

Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who spent time guessing on Nick’s species!
> 
> My original idea for him was a generic Shifter, but let’s be fair, that would be selling him short. This new race was based off the Shadow Man phenomenon, most commonly encountered during Sleep Paralysis episodes. Personal experience with this affliction when younger has proven to me just how terrifying it is! Add a possibly malevolent force to the mix? 
> 
> https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_person
> 
> There were many close guesses, and many who chose their guesses based on different cultural explanations for the condition, but you all came up with amazing ideas!


End file.
